As expected, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lowered Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension from six games to four games Friday. The news couldn’t have come at a better time for the Steelers, who lost stopgap quarterback Byron Leftwich to a sprained MCL in Thursday’s game against Carolina.
That leaves either Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch to start the season in Pittsburgh. That situation is frightening for both Steeler fans and owners of Steeler players. Roethlisberger is eligible to return Oct. 17 against Cleveland. Savvy owners have been drafting Big Ben and stashing him on their bench in anticipation of this.
If you haven’t had your draft yet, Big Ben is a backup you can grab that should put up starter numbers. The Steelers know how bad their current QB options are. They will probably be ecstatic if they can go 2-2 in the four games without their star QB. Despite the questionable decisions he makes off the field, Roethlisberger lifts this team to victories through sheer force of will.
The AFC North is a strong division thanks to the improvements in Cincinnati and Baltimore, so Pittsburgh should be playing from behind to start the season. I’ll take the Super Bowl-winning QB with something to prove and a questionable running game as my fantasy backup, thanks. These aren’t the “ground and pound” Steelers we’ve grown to love. They’re throwing more then they ever have, which is what you want from your fantasy QB.
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