Pittsburgh's prognosis

A few months ago at the NFL's annual owners meetings, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher talked about the plethora of circumstances that culminated in a Super Bowl XL win – chief among them were timing, luck and health.

In the wake of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident Monday morning, Pittsburgh lost all three for the start of this season.

And while we've learned that Roethlisberger's injuries don't appear life- or season-threatening – facial fractures, a broken jaw and teeth and skin lacerations on his head and knees – the accident still represents a serious blow to the Steelers' perch atop the AFC. The one player Pittsburgh cannot afford to lose is Roethlisberger, be it for a few months or an entire season. And the last thing a defending Super Bowl champion needs is for its 24-year-old centerpiece to have a cloud of second-guessing hanging over his head.

But it's a safe bet that's what Roethlisberger and the Steelers are in for now. If the injuries are no worse than the broken jaw and facial fractures, he probably is out eight weeks. But one team trainer said Monday night there likely won't be a way to come up with a realistic timetable for days – and maybe weeks.

"Eight weeks could be three months, depending on the extent of the injuries," he said. "If he's got a fractured eye socket (as one Pittsburgh television station reported) and a broken nose and jaw, that's serious pain for a sustained period. [Players] with broken jaws can lose weight and strength, too. Then you wonder about the mental side of it. How is he going to feel? There are a lot of different things [to deal with]."

What's certain is Roethlisberger will be idled for some length of time – not an insignificant point for a player who was expected to shoulder more responsibility in the offense this season, something in the neighborhood of 30 pass attempts a game. But that would have depended on some chemistry issues being sorted out in training camp, which isn't expected to be a small task with Antwaan Randle El being replaced by rookie wide receiver Santonio Holmes. The offensive line's health and a void at the power running back position – now that Jerome Bettis has retired – remain issues, too.

Certainly, some of those things can be worked out even if Roethlisberger misses all of training camp. But what can't be guaranteed is how the unit will function if he's forced to return without significant training camp work. And lest we forget, the first half of the Steelers' schedule is brutal, with seven of the first eight games coming against teams expected to be playoff or Super Bowl contenders: Miami, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, San Diego, Kansas City, Atlanta and Denver.

Clearly, Pittsburgh will have to be primed and ready from Day 1 if it's going to survive into a bit more cushy second half of the season. The divisional schedule doesn't look any better – not with Cleveland improving its roster and Baltimore expected to be far less inept on offense with Steve McNair at the helm.

Now add to the mix the questions and attention that are bound to be focused on Roethlisberger all season long, and you have multiple mental and physical hoops he'll be jumping through. So while Monday's news was ultimately positive, the long-term team prognosis is ominous at best.