Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Ben Roethlisberger has come back a long way since those first minutes on the sideline after the hit Sunday that knocked him out of the game. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Steelers Notebook: Cowher considering changes in starting lineup Bob Smizik: Cowher's rules are ignored Q&A with Rich Dalrymple

Not only are the chances good Ben Roethlisberger will start in Oakland Sunday, he might even return to practice when the Steelers begin preparing today for the Raiders.

"We'll see how he feels," coach Bill Cowher said yesterday.

After all, what's a little smack to the head by a 277-pound defensive end after you've been splattered all over Second Avenue? Roethlisberger keeps on ticking, through a broken face from his June 12 motorcycle accident, a Sept. 3 appendectomy and now a mild concussion from Sunday's game in Atlanta.

Yesterday, he acknowledged he's tired of visiting doctors after enduring a series of tests Sunday night and Monday in which he came through with another passing grade.

"He had an MRI done on his brain and neck. Both of those came back normal," Cowher said. "We also did the impact test, the concussion test. We're very encouraged by the results. We'll monitor his progress as the week goes on."

And, in case anyone missed it, Cowher repeated, "Again, I emphasize that we're very encouraged by where he's at as we speak today."

Cowher officially will list his quarterback as "questionable" on the injury list today and that officially means he has a 50 percent chance of playing. Unofficially, it's probably up to the quarterback himself, and he has a history of going full steam ahead.

So, after another glitch, Roethlisberger can try to maintain the momentum he has had the past two weeks before Atlanta's Chauncey Davis played helmet tag with him in the third quarter Sunday, which should wind up being a costly game for the Falcons' defensive end when the NFL announces his fine this week.

Over the past two games, Roethlisberger completed 32 of 41 passes for 476 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. That produced a near-perfect passer rating of 154.62 with an average gain per attempt of 11.6 yards, about double what he had through his first three games.

"Obviously we've been throwing the ball very well and not turning it over," Cowher said. "I think that's a big thing. We've cut down on the interceptions."

Roethlisberger seemed to be a different quarterback the past two games than he was in his first three, which came after he missed the opener because of his appendectomy. He threw seven interceptions in those three games and no touchdowns.

"He's looked very comfortable and the receivers have done a good job running crisp routes," Cowher said. "I see us throwing the ball before a guy gets out of a break. And that's when I know we're starting to get our timing back.

"That's been a carryover from practices -- they've gotten better from that standpoint. He's played well and our offense has played well the last couple of weeks."

Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, explained that entering his third season Roethlisberger wasn't just trying to get over the injuries from his motorcycle accident and then the appendectomy. He wanted to improve upon his first two seasons in the league, to become a better quarterback than he was last season.

In the past two games, Roethlisberger did that. Will his latest crash course derail that, or will it be just another bump in the road?

While Roethlisberger passed all the necessary medical tests, he must pass them again before he suits up in Oakland.

"He took the test and will take the test again later in the week to make sure he is cleared medically before we would subject him to playing," Cowher said. "But we are encouraged by where he was yesterday and how he felt today. But again, it's too early to make a final decision on that. We will definitely do so by taking all necessary precautions to make sure he is cleared."