Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich looked like he hadn\’t thrown a pass in a long time during his relief appearance for the injured Ben Roethlisberger Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Leftwich looked like he hadn\’t had many practice reps either and he was asked following the game if he had been getting enough them.
“I haven\’t got no reps since we left Latrobe,” said Leftwich. “It\’s good to get out there, and that\’s what I told some of these guys, we got to get some work together.”
Leftwich admitted that it took a few plays in order to get the game to slow down and that he looks forward to getting some practice reps in with the starting wide receiving unit this next week.
Leftwich isn\’t sure what the status is of Roethlisberger, who left the game in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury, but he is sure that he will get some work in practice this week regardless.
The Steelers backup finished the game 7-of-14 for 73 yards and his numbers reflected his accuracy. While many in the fan base are calling for Charlie Batch to get the start against the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night should Roethlisberger not be able to play, remember that he has had less reps than Leftwich has had.
Will the playing time that Leftwich received Monday night help him should he indeed need to start against the Ravens?
“That will help,” said Leftwich. “Like I said, I haven\’t been in a huddle with those guys since Latrobe. That\’s a long time ago since training camp. So it was good to get some work in.”
A good week of practice with the first team should make a ton of difference for Leftwich, who claimed he knows the playbook inside out. He deserves the chance to start should Roethlisberger not be ready and he just might surprise all of us when he gets it.
