Polamalu will miss Week 13 with a sprained MCL of the left knee, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He doesn't need surgery but will likely miss at least two games because of the injury. Polamalu believes he'll return to play this season. "I'm definitely optimistic about it," the two-time Pro Bowler said.
This doesn't look like a good matchup for the Pittsburgh Steelers: the quarterback who leads the NFL in interceptions going against a Baltimore Ravens defense that is the league's best in picking off passes. Ben Roethlisberger has never played a full game in Baltimore, but he understands the challenge that awaits Sunday from a Ravens defense that has 18 interceptions. He has thrown 17 himself, only three fewer than he had in his first two seasons combined. So it's not surprising that coach Bill Cowher cautioned his quarterback about trying to force throws or gambling he can complete a pass into heavy coverage. "Coach said that an incomplete pass might be the best play we have this week," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "An incompletion is not going to hurt you. It's hard to tell a quarterback to be smart and not throw a pick. I just have to be patient and hopefully we can establish the run game and get ready to hit some big plays." Not many teams have done that to the Ravens (8-2), who have two former NFL Defensive Players of the Year in safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis. Reed is challenging to play against because he reacts so quickly to what a...
