Roethlisberger knocked out of game with blow to head

<p>Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of Sunday's game against Atlanta after taking a blow to the head in the third quarter, leaving his status uncertain for next week's game at Oakland.</p><p>Roethlisberger did not return and watched the end of the Falcons' 41-38 win in overtime from the sideline.</p><p>Coach Bill Cowher said he could not update Roethlisberger's status.</p><p>"Ben is sore," Cowher said. "I don't have any initial diagnosis on him. He got hit in the head. I don't want to speculate at this point, but he was on the sideline at the end of the game and he was understanding everything that was going on."</p><p>Roethlisberger was not made available to reporters after the game. He was moving slowly and was in obvious discomfort as he put on his shirt and jacket at his locker.</p><p>Roethlisberger appeared to receive a helmet-to-helmet hit in the face mask from defensive end Chauncey Davis immediately after releasing a pass, which was dropped by Hines Ward with 7:40 left in the third. Defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Ed Hartwell also hit the quarterback on the play.</p><p>Cowher wouldn't discuss the legality of the hit by Davis.</p><p>"The league will handle that," he said. "I'm not going to be judgmental. The league will handle that."</p><p>Davis defended his play.</p><p>"It was a good hit," he said. "I don't think that I put my helmet into it. I wasn't trying to do it. It was a good hit and there were two (other) guys that hit him so I really don't know. I mean, I'll just have to watch the film to see what happened.</p><p>"I wasn't trying to hit him like that, but hopefully it was a clean play."</p><p>Though Roethlisberger was face down and motionless for several minutes before being rolled onto his back by trainers, Cowher said he did not know if the quarterback lost consciousness.</p><p>"I don't know if he was ever unconscious," Cowher said. "He was talking while he was out there. (The trainers) were doing all the checks they need to do."</p><p>Roethlisberger finally sat up and then walked off the field with the assistance of the trainers.</p><p>He was taken to the sideline, where he sat on the bench as backup quarterback Charlie Batch entered the game. Minutes later, Roethlisberger was taken to the locker room on a cart. He returned to the sideline late in the game wearing street clothes and a black cap.</p><p>Roethlisberger already has overcome a June motorcycle accident and a Sept. 3 appendectomy. He was 16-for-22 passing for 238 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game.</p>