The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a ton to play for in Week 17. Yes, they could still win the AFC North and secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC, but they will need the Baltimore Ravens to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals to facilitate that. And so the Steelers want to play Ben Roethlisberger for 25 to 30 snaps, instead of for a full game, against the Cleveland Browns.
Roethlisberger didn't play in Pittsburgh's Week 16 win over the St. Louis Rams, and has been nursing a sprained ankle for much of the last month. It seemed to bother him significantly in the Steelers' loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15.
But Roethlisberger's services might not be needed for the Steelers to beat the Browns: Cleveland is likely to be without Colt McCoy, and has been struggling with their starter at the helm of late. For the Steelers, getting Roethlisberger some work and getting a win with Charlie Batch handling most of the snaps would be an ideal Week 17.
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