"When you make it that black and white, it makes no bones about what's expected, to allow him to have a crystal-clear focus about what it is he needs to do," Tomlin said.
It happened in Arizona in 2014 when Carson Palmer tore his ACL and team that looked like a Super Bowl contender limped into the playoffs before making a hasty exit. It's happening in Dallas this fall, which hasn't won since Tony Romo's collarbone broke in Week 2.
"I get it, the guy's an All-Pro," he said. "There's going to be a little bit of a drop-off but that doesn't mean I can't play winning football."
It worked for Charlie Batch, who went 6-3 in nine starts subbing in for Roethlisberger. It worked for Dennis Dixon,
Adrian Wilson Cardinals Jersey, who was 2-0 in 2010. It worked for Michael Vick, who summoned enough magic in the fourth quarter against San Diego on Oct. 12 to play a vital part of a late rally.
In a big picture sense, Roethlisberger is irreplaceable. Yet in a game by game sense, Pittsburgh has proven it can get by without him. The Steelers are a respectable 10-9 since 2004 when Roethlisberger is out. That includes a 2-2 mark this year heading into a game Sunday against Cleveland (2-7), when Landry Jones will fill in if Roethlisberger's sprained left foot doesn't time to heal in time. Roethlisberger practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday but his status remains uncertain.
PITTSBURGH (AP)