From Ben this morning, in response to the many emails and messages I have received:

“Tell the fans I’m doing well, just relaxing and recovering, and thanks for their support and prayers.”



Coach Tomlin told the media this afternoon:

“The only adjustment is that he is going to probably wear a clear shield on his helmet to protect him from that standpoint. I am sure there is going to be some level of discomfort. I don’t think it’s going to keep him out of football in any form or fashion.”

The gauze from the surgery to his broken nose should be removed today.

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was fined $15,000 by the NFL yesterday for the hit.


You can read updates on injuries sustained by Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu, Matt Spaeth, Flozell Adams and Aaron Smith here.


If you’d like to know how doctors fix a broken nose, first “brace yourself” says the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Mark Roth, and read about it here.



Also Today…

From FOX Sports‘ columnist Jason Whitlock:

In five years, Big Ben Roethlisberger might move ahead of Manning on my list. Regardless of what Roger Goodell does to NFL rules, football is always going to be a game defined by toughness. Did you watch Big Ben Sunday night?

The Ravens broke his nose in the first quarter and Big Ben never blinked. He never thought about coming out of the game. And down the stretch, against the meanest defense in football, Big Ben fought off Terrell Suggs and avoided a sack on one play and threw the game-winning TD pass two plays later.

There is no stat for playing with a broken nose. There is no stat for fighting off Suggs and throwing the ball away. If the league kept those stats, we know Roethlisberger and Brady would rank higher on the chart than Manning.


You can read his column here.


And…

From former NFL quarterback and current TSN (The Sports Network) columnist Jesse Palmer:

Ben Roethlisberger will never have to worry about proving his toughness again. Entering Sunday with broken bone in his right foot, Roethlisberger suffered a broken nose on the first series of the game, but stayed and led the Steelers to a 13-10 win over division rival Baltimore to take the lead in the AFC North division.

Looking back, its hard to remember another QB who battled similar physical adversity, while leading his team to victory.

I find it remarkable that Roethlisberger was able to stay in the game Sunday with a broken nose. Anyone that has ever suffered a broken nose will tell you that your vision becomes completely distorted because you keep tearing up.

After Sunday’s gutsy performance, it’s hard to imagine anyone doubting their QB’s willingness to suffer in order to win.


You can read his column here.