By Mark Viera
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, January 8, 2009

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 7 -- There was a gang to his left. From the right came more pressure. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was facing a blitz by members of the news media.

Roethlisberger is back at practice this week and has said he is close to 100 percent after suffering a concussion against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 28. On Wednesday, some of the focus turned to how Roethlisberger's comeback will affect Pittsburgh against the San Diego Chargers in an AFC semifinal, when he will confront an attack significantly more fearsome than the barrage from reporters.

The Steelers have anchored their success on the NFL's top-ranked defense but have developed only a one-dimensional identity on offense, and it has come in a surprising form for Pittsburgh: through the air.

The Steelers' ability to run the ball against the Chargers could help alleviate some of the pressure on the recovering Roethlisberger, who will be confronted with an aggressive defense. Exhibit A in the Chargers' success busting into the backfield was in their overtime defeat of the Indianapolis Colts in the first round, when they got a critical sack of quarterback Peyton Manning late in regulation to set up a game-tying field goal.

"That's kind of been their M.O. recently, bringing people and using their athletes in the secondary to cover," Roethlisberger said. "We have to be on our P's and Q's and be ready for it as a line and as a unit."

Teammates said they expect Roethlisberger to be prepared for the Chargers and their pass rush. Roethlisberger said he felt fine after practicing this week, although he complained of a slight headache because his helmet was too tight.

On Monday, Roethlisberger said he would be psychologically ready to play, saying: "It is just like when a player comes off of a knee surgery or some kind of injury, you can't go out there scared or afraid to get hurt because that is when you get hurt. I am going to go out there and play normal football, and if I get hit, I get hit."

Roethlisberger's playing status was the great unknown entering the week. He suffered a concussion after he was driven to the ground by Browns linebackers Willie McGinest and D'Qwell Jackson. Roethlisberger, who lay on the field for about 15 minutes before being taken off on a stretcher, said he lost feeling in his arms on the hit.

Roethlisberger, who has suffered at least two concussions on the field and one in a motorcycle crash in 2006, said the Steelers' bye week last weekend gave him extra time to recover.

But until Monday, the uncertainty about his availability was a source of concern. Although the Steelers have a capable backup in Byron Leftwich, Roethlisberger's resiliency has been vital to Pittsburgh's push into the playoffs.

Roethlisberger has helped engineer five fourth-quarter comebacks this season. Among those performances were a drive Nov. 16 against the Chargers that ended when Jeff Reed hit a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining for an 11-10 victory and a 92-yard march in the final three minutes Dec. 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, which resulted in a 13-9 Steelers win and the AFC North title.

"I think you can see Mike Tomlin's influence on that," Chargers Coach Norv Turner said of the Steelers' coach. "They've got outstanding skill players, outstanding receivers. Obviously, Ben is great at throwing the ball deep. They can be as explosive as they want to be."

The Steelers ranked 17th in the regular season in passing offense (206.3 yards per game) and 23rd in rushing offense (105.6 yards per game). They have been held to less than 100 yards rushing eight times this season. That might need to change.

"We do have to have balance," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "Definitely in the playoffs, you have to be able to run the ball well and be able to do both. We can't just be one-dimensional."

This season, Roethlisberger threw for 3,301 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and completed 59.9 percent of his passes.

The Steelers have dealt with nagging injuries in the backfield and on their offensive line. Running back Willie Parker rushed for 791 yards, his first season with less than 1,000 yards since he rushed for 186 yards as a rookie in 2004. First-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall fractured his left shoulder in September, ending his season. The injuries conspired to slow Pittsburgh's ground game.

"If I was on the defensive side of the ball," Parker said, "I wouldn't respect the running game because we haven't been that successful this year."

A solid showing on Sunday from Parker, the other running backs and the offensive line could act as a buffer to Roethlisberger. And it might help lift Pittsburgh into the conference championship game.

"If he steps on that field, he's definitely going to be all right," Parker said of Roethlisberger. "We'd love to keep Ben healthy throughout the playoffs."