Test Special Characters

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin's got plenty of ideas on how to fix the Pittsburgh Steelers. Increasing Ben Roethlisberger's practice workload is not one of them.

Even with the offense sputtering behind a young and at times overmatched line and the team off to an ugly 1-2 start, Tomlin said Tuesday there are no plans to have Roethlisberger deviate from his usual routine heading into a visit on Sunday to Green Bay (1-2).

"It rests him and rightfully so," Tomlin said. "He's an older guy and the wear and tear of plays affects him differently than younger guys. But also he's an older guy and he has a volume of plays that most guys can't pull from that probably requires (them) more physical work and an effort to be ready to play."

Roethlisberger jokingly acknowledged "everything hurts" in the aftermath of a 24-10 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday in which he was sacked four times, hit several others and threw a pair of interceptions in Pittsburgh territory.

Tomlin is not concerned about Roethlisberger's health, saying the 18-year veteran is dealing with the normal "bumps and bruises" associated with the game, though those bruises are piling up quickly. Roethlisberger has already been sacked eight times in three games. He was dropped 13 times in 15 starts last season when the Steelers captured the AFC North title.

There are a combination of factors leading to the uptick, namely a line featuring four new starters, including a pair of rookies. While Tomlin is optimistic the group will improve, he allowed there is plenty to work on.

All five linemen were penalized at least once against the Bengals, though he stressed he is not planning to make any changes based on performance, though right tackle Chuks Okorafor's status is uncertain after he went into the concussion protocol in the third quarter against Cincinnati.

"We're not going to push the panic button," he said. "What do I mean by the panic button? You know, we're not going to dramatically change who and what we are at this juncture. We're not resistant to change for the purposes of getting better, but we're not going to be so unsteady that we move away from our compass."