After seeing the direction Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's left ankle bent and how he was walking off the field with the help of a couple of trainers in the second quarter, it looked bleak for him to return vs. the Cleveland Browns. Heck, it looked like the Steelers may have just lost their quarterback for awhile, not just the second half of the Week 14 game.
That's not the case, though -- Roethlisberger actually took the field for the Steelers' first possession of the second half. He's playing with a serious limp and thick tape job, but he's really doing it.
X-rays taken during half time came up negative, but the speculation by the NFL Network was that it is a high ankle sprain. As Roethlisberger was seen with his left shoe off and walking with an extremely heavy limp entering the Steelers locker room, the NFL Network analysts didn't think there was any way Big Ben would (or should) be playing in the second half vs. the Browns. Au contraire, Big Ben took snaps before the second half commenced and ultimately received a nice ovation from the crowd as he limp-jogged to the huddle when the Steelers offense took the field for the first time in the third quarter.
On his first possession, Big Ben was 2-of-4 for 26 yards. He continues to pace the sidelines, trying to keep the ankle warm while the Steelers defense is on the field.