PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was carried away on a stretcher after suffering what the team said was a concussion in Sunday's victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland Browns linebackers Willie McGinest and D'Qwell Jackson hit Roethlisberger as he threw a short pass with 1:48 left in the first half and the Steelers leading the game 7-0.

Roethlisberger laid on his back on the Heinz Field turf for about 15 minutes, until medical personnel were able to disassemble his helmet, strap him onto a stretcher, lift him onto a cart and drive him to the locker room.

Television replays showed the back of Roethlisberger's head slamming onto the turf as he took the hit.

He remained conscious the entire time he was down, and he stuck his right thumb in the air while he was being taken off the field.

Roethlisberger went to a hospital in an ambulance and was tested for neck and other injuries. The tests were negative, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Byron Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger at quarterback and led several scoring drives as the Steelers routed the Browns, 31-0.

The game was essentially meaningless for the Steelers, who had already clinched the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoffs and had no chance to surpass Tennessee for the No. 1 seed. But Tomlin wanted Roethlisberger and his other starters to get some playing time because they don't have another game scheduled until Jan. 11.

Since the Steelers have nearly two weeks off, the team is hopeful that Roethlisberger will be ready to play in the postseason.

Recovery

Doctors said Roethlisberger should be able to recover easily given his young age and physical condition, but caution hidden dangers exist, even for patients who appear normal.

"When you take the brain tissue and have it suddenly bounce up against the skull -- that's what happens when you fall. Getting hit by two football players, it can then cause trauma directly to the brain," said Dr. Richard Bonfiglio of UPMC.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Emergency Physicians, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can lead to significant life-long impairments that cripple an individual's ability to function physically and mentally.

Roughly 1 percent of patients with mild TBI harbor life-threatening neurosurgical lesions.

10 percent of patients with a mild TBI have evidence of intracranial injury visible with CT scans.

Stay with WTAE Channel 4 Action News and ThePittsburghChannel.com for updates on this story.

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Fans Speak Out

Steelers fans are talking about Ben Roethlisberger's injury on ThePittsburghChannel.com's message board.

seto69 said, "That hit could have ended his career, and for what? Statistics? Pride? i do not have have the answer. But his coaches lacked some common sense. I do not care how much money you make. The risk was too high. There was no prize to be won. The reason BR makes the money he does is that he can deliver us to the Super Bowl and now that was jeopardized! So I ask what did we have to gain by playing him?"

b842001 said, "Why (w)ould you risk getting your valuable players hurt in a game that did not mean squat and in a game that its obvious Ben was not needed. Tomlin was not the right choice for this job. He will never be around as long as Noll or Bill!"

Stink said, "Let's not make hasty judgements against Tomlin! Had Ben not been hit and had a good game, everyone would have been shouting 'KUDOS' to Coach Tomlin for playing his starters!!! Since you all feel you are NFL coaches why are you not commenting on the offensive line's lack of protecting our quarterback, who at times, takes too long to throw the ball?"

FAN13 said, "It's unfortunate that Ben got hurt yesterday, but I understand why Tomlin started the first team. They can't go 2 weeks without playing. It hurts their timing on both offense and defense..... the offensive line needed to make protecting Ben first priority. We needed to get Leftwich some playing time yesterday just not the way it happened. The play of the O line will determine how far the Steelers go in the playoffs."

Share your comments here.

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