Randy Fichtner: Steelers 'continue to prepare' as if Ben Roethlisberger will start vs. Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers are continuing to devise a gameplan for the Cincinnati Bengals with Ben Roethlisberger in mind.

Although the Steelers won’t know until Saturday whether Roethlisberger can be activated from the NFL’s reserve/covid-19 list, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner is installing plays for Sunday’s game with the 17-year veteran in mind.

“We’ll prepare and continue to prepare as if Ben is playing,” Fichtner said before practice Thursday.

Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/covid-19 list Tuesday, one day after tight end Vance McDonald tested positive for coronavirus. Contact tracing determined Roethlisberger and three other players were in close proximity to McDonald over the weekend when the Steelers traveled to Dallas and beat the Cowboys, 24-19, to remain undefeated at 8-0.

Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph took the bulk of the snaps Wednesday in practice, which is not unusual since Roethlisberger usually sits out the first day of on-field preparations each week. Rudolph would start in the event Roethlisberger isn’t cleared Saturday. Josh Dobbs would be the backup.

“I know from a mental standpoint, he’ll be ready to go,” Fichtner said about Roethlisberger. “I do have some background in the idea that at various times in his career he has not practiced all week and has played in games and has been successful in games. I don’t question that one bit.”

In 2015, Roethlisberger was supposed to sit out a game against the Cleveland Browns with a sprained foot. But when Landry Jones injured his ankle early in the game, Roethlisberger was pressed into duty and led the Steelers to a 30-9 victory.

Roethlisberger missed a series late in the first half Sunday against the Cowboys with a knee injury, but he returned to play in the second half. The injury isn’t as much of a factor this week as is Roethlisberger’s unavailability because of covid-19 testing.

Aside from daily testing, Roethlisberger is quarantined at his house and can only interact with coaches via Zoom calls.

“He’s been great because he’s been accessible,” Fichtner said. “He has plenty of free time. We’re probably the ones that have to make the time to fit.”

Zac Taylor, who is in his second season as Bengals coach, has never faced Roethlisberger. Rudolph started twice against the Bengals last year while Roethlisberger was out for the season with a right elbow injury. Devlin Hodges relieved Rudolph in the second game and led the Steelers to a 16-10 victory. Hodges is on the practice squad this year.

Taylor expects Roethlisberger to play even without any practice snaps this week.

“He’s a great quarterback and has had so many reps over the course of his life. You can’t imagine he’s going to be any different whether he’s been practicing all week or not,” Taylor said. “We have to be ready for him.”

Fichtner said the gameplan will remain intact even if the Steelers learn Saturday — the first day Roethlisberger is eligible to be activated from the reserve/covid-19 list — that a quarterback change is necessary.

“I don’t know if there would be a lot of changes,” Fichtner said. “When we meet every week with the quarterbacks on Saturday night, we talk about certain things in the plan we want to get called, ones that we like and don’t like. At any time, a backup is a play away from playing whether it be Mason or Josh, and I think back to Charlie Batch and all the other quarterbacks.

“They always had a handful of things they really feel comfortable with.”

Fichtner was asked whether the Steelers might have packages ready to use for both Rudolph and Dobbs in the event Roethlisberger can’t play.

“Both of them have worked their tails off to put themselves in that conversation,” he said. “I would be confident in any one of those scenarios. Other than the idea that there was no preseason and they didn’t have an opportunity to have a lot of work, that would be the only hesitation I would have.”