National Football League

Roethlisberger sits out return to Heinz Field

Published Aug. 15, 2010 4:21 p.m. ET

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Ben Roethlisberger might not take another snap at Heinz Field until his suspension for off-the-field behavior ends in October.

The NFL told the Pittsburgh Steelers that the quarterback could play in all of their preseason games before his suspension begins, but that doesn't mean the team plans to let him.

Roethlisberger never warmed up, put his helmet on or stepped into the huddle on a rainy Saturday night as the Steelers beat the Detroit Lions 23-7 in a preseason game.

Because coach Mike Tomlin planned to play his starters only eight to 12 snaps, or about as long as the defensive regulars were in the game, he started Byron Leftwich and gave Roethlisberger the night off.

Roethlisberger lobbied to get in the game, but Tomlin had already made up his mind.

''Ben is going to have opportunities to play in the preseason,'' Tomlin said. ''But with the number of snaps that we anticipated the first offense running, it just wasn't appropriate to play him.''

The only time Roethlisberger was on the field, except during warmups, was for the pregame coin toss. The Steelers don't choose captains until the end of the preseason, so Tomlin retained the same captains who ended last season, including Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger is expected to play Saturday at the New York Giants - where he likely will receive a far less receptive response than he did in Heinz Field - and Aug. 29 at Denver. But, since the starters normally play only a few snaps in the final preseason game, Roethlisberger also might sit out Sept. 2 against Carolina in Pittsburgh.

When training camp began, Tomlin said the emphasis was on getting ready to start the season while making sure Roethlisberger got enough time with the starters to stay sharp. Roethlisberger cannot practice once the season starts and his suspension begins. He was suspended in April for six games, but it appears likely commissioner Roger Goodell will reduce the punishment to four games.

''He's had an awesome training camp so far,'' Tomlin said of Roethlisberger. ''We're going to continue what we set out to do, in that this guy is going to have a productive camp and preseason.''

Even if it means the Steelers fans who want to watch him throw a football must drive to training camp in Latrobe, Pa., to see him.

If Tomlin's decision to sit Roethlisberger was made out of worry the quarterback might be booed loudly in his own stadium, it probably wasn't justified.

After Roethlisberger was accused of but not charged with the sexual assault of a 20-year-old Georgia college student in March, any sighting of him in uniform might have set off a torrent of boos in a city that was distressed, hurt and angered by the two-time Super Bowl winner's attitude and conduct.

Now, with the focus of the team and the fans shifting to the start of the season, and Roethlisberger conducting himself well at a training camp in which he spends time daily mingling with fans and signing autographs, much of the resentment appears to be vanishing.

If there was any jeering when Roethlisberger took the field with his teammates, it wasn't audible. The only apparent crowd reaction came when a few fans chanted, ''We want Ben, we want Ben,'' as Leftwich struggled early in the game.

Leftwich wasn't sharp, going 6 of 10 for 43 yards as the Steelers trailed 7-6 before No. 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon took over. Later, Leftwich said, ''It's a good thing we've got three more (exhibition games).''

Dixon showed off his speed and more-than-adequate throwing arm while going 6 of 7 for 128 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown throw to rookie Antonio Brown and a 51-yard completion to Arnaz Battle, while opposing backups.

''He moved the offense and I liked his composure,'' Tomlin said.

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