Article: Big Ben to get surgery on his torn meniscus. 2005 all over again...
Article: Big Ben to get surgery on his torn meniscus. 2005 all over again...
G.Stryker
Steelernation.com
Ben Roethlisberger injured his knee in yesterday's game vs the Miami Dolphins. Though Ben returned to the game and finished it, he was not the same and was obviously playing with discomfort. The injury turned out to be a torn meniscus, and he will be undergoing surgery today to repair the tear. If this injury is similar to Ben's injury in 2005, he will have a meniscectomy. This is when the doctor cuts the meniscus around the tear and removes it arthroscopically. This surgery typically takes 2-4 weeks to heal, and in 2005, Ben only missed 3 games with his recovery.
In 2005, Ben injured his knee vs the Ravens in week 8, then had surgery to repair his meniscus. Charlie Batch led the team to victories against the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns. Charlie was injured in the Browns game, and Maddox came in to finish it. Both games were wins. Maddox's next start was an overtime loss to the Ravens. Ben then returned week 12 for a Monday Night game vs the Indianapolis Colts. It was probably the worst loss that season, as the Steelers had trouble moving the ball against the Colt's constant pressure. Ben also lost the next game against Cincinnati, but that would be the last time the 2005 team lost a game. The Steelers ended that season winning 8 straight games and hoisted the Lombardi.
It is fortunate that the Bye week falls during Ben's rehab. If he misses the same amount of time, which would be 3 weeks, Ben would only miss 2 games. Knowing Ben's competitiveness, he will want to return to face the Ravens on 11/6, though his knee may not be ready until the Dallas game on 11/13. Either way, when Ben returns, it may take a couple weeks for him to return to game speed. If the Steelers stumble during that time, don't fret. The same thing happened in 2005, and hopefully this season will end the same way, with a Superbowl victory!