On Saturday, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported that Roethlisberger will make the trip to Denver and is expected to start in Sunday’s divisional round game.
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The NFL added insult to injury to the Bengals’ heartbreaking loss to the Steelers when they handed out fines to both teams Friday.
“I would say I see him as strong as he was early in the season regardless of when that was, but I’ve seen that the last two weeks”, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’ll be ready to go on Sunday”. But perhaps the one benefit to missing time with a torn plantar fascia/being benched was that he had to endure only 10 games during the grueling regular season.
Three Bengals players received fines. Antonio Brown was one of, if not the league’s best wide receivers recording 136 receptions with almost 2,000 yards receiving with 10 touchdowns.
Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, whose 80-yard touchdown in overtime from Tim Tebow was the dagger the last time these teams met in the playoffs four years ago, said, “All we’re anxious about now is the Steelers”. This time around Brown is out and that will limit Roethlisberger to throw to Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton and Heath Miller. Already without starting running back Le’Veon Bell for the rest of the season, the team recently got word that second-string running back DeAngelo Williams would also be held out of the game. We’ve all had huge games. To get the answer go to CBSSports.com at this link for streaming video of the final game of the playoff weekend. With an injury that appears to be more serious, however, players and other staff sometimes come out on the field to check on the player.
“Adversity brings out the great ones”, Bryant said.
After former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron put Cincinnati ahead 16-15 with a 25-yard touchdown pass with 1:50 to play, Burfict intercepted a Pittsburgh pass, leaving the Bengals 96 seconds away from their first postseason victory in 25 years.
“I do think he looks very fresh, and not just fresh but focused”, Green said. Vontaze Burfict left his imprint on the game, he took Roethlisberger out of the game with a sack in the second half injuring the quarterbacks shoulder. He did not practice this week. Pittsburgh really has no running threat with Williams on the shelf in this one, a couple of backups aren’t going to get the job done against this defense.
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Pittsburgh hasn’t had to face this situation since a sprained ankle forced Brown to skip three games in 2012. “We’ve done it before”.
