Ben Roethlisberger was hurt Sunday in Baltimore even though he did not play against the Ravens. The quarterback said yesterday that learning what Hines Ward said about him is what did it.

"He reached out to me and I told him I was just more hurt than anything," Roethlisberger said yesterday, relating part of his conversation Monday with his wide receiver.

"You know, we got over it, moved past it and now we're preparing."

Roethlisberger was held out of Sunday's loss in Baltimore by coach Mike Tomlin after the quarterback complained about headaches after practice last week. He was judged to have had a concussion in overtime of the Steelers' loss Nov. 22 in Kansas City.

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Sunday

• Game: Steelers (6-5) vs. Oakland Raiders (3-8), 1 p.m.
• TV: KDKA.

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Ward told NBC in an interview shown before the game that "it's almost like a 50-50 toss-up in the locker room: Should he play? Shouldn't he play? It's really hard to say. I've been out there dinged up. The following week, got right back out there. Ben practiced all week."

Ward has spent much of the week explaining that people misinterpreted those words and that he never questioned Roethlisberger's toughness.

He said if doctors did not want him to play, he should not play.

"In hindsight looking at it, we're never going to jeopardize a man's health issues to play a game," Ward said.

Roethlisberger does not talk much about his motorcycle accident in 2006, but he brought it up yesterday while explaining the doctors' suggestion that he not play in Baltimore.

"They took what was my best interests in mind," Roethlisberger said. "A lot of people forget the accident that I had. [The doctors] remembered that. It was life threatening, I almost lost my life for an accident to my head and face and the five plates I have in my face right now.

"They knew what was in my best interests and when you have symptoms like that they felt it was best to not go and that was their decision, not mine.

"I wanted to play but on Saturday morning they made that decision."

Roethlisberger went through a second consecutive day of practice with the Steelers yesterday.

"I feel great. I'm ready to go, practiced yesterday, felt good, no headaches and ready to rock and roll," he said.

Roethlisberger said he pleaded with Tomlin to allow him to play, even asking one final time along the sideline after the national anthem was played in Baltimore. This came after the coach told him Saturday morning he would not play.

"He basically pulled me in his office and told me. I was kind of in shock, upset, shock but respected what they said.

"You do have to think about your future and your family. It's not fun but you can get knee replacement surgery, you can have rotator cuff surgeries, but you can't get a new brain."

Roethlisberger said he will be given no more tests, that he continued to pass them all and the only problem came with the headaches. He has not had a headache since last week, he said.

Oh, oh, bad news possibly for Steelers and their fans.

In the five games Roethlisberger has played in his career after missing the previous game for one reason or another (not counting his first appearance as a rookie), he has completed 89 of 144 passes for 885 yards, six touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a woeful passer rating of 64.15. The Steelers were 2-3 in those games, including one lucky victory against the New York Jets in the playoffs.

If you add another game in which many believe Roethlisberger should not have played after he left the previous game in Atlanta with a concussion, it is worse.

That game came in Oakland in the 2006 season. Roethlisberger was 25 of 37 for 301 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in a loss.

That would take his passer rating down to 62.53 and add another loss for a 2-4 record.

Roethlisberger will continue to wear his standard Riddell helmet the rest of the season, then investigate whether he should wear something that might provide him with more protection in 2010.

"At the end of the year, I'm going to look into different helmets. I know that helmet is one that supposedly isn't the best but it's one I've been very comfortable with and I've worn for long time."

Anthony Madison, who led Steelers special teams with 25 tackles last season and then was released before this one, hopes to provide what his coaches are looking for on kick and punt coverage.

He will line up two players left of the kicker on kickoff teams and serve as one of the "gunners" who try to fly to the punt return man first, just as he did last season.

"Same thing that I hope I've done in the past," said Madison, who re-signed Wednesday.

"You know, just go out there and play and make that a priority. You have a certain job to do, you go out and have pride in it."

He said he cannot explain why the Steelers went from the top kickoff team in the NFL in 2008 to one of the worst.

"I just think that you have to get out there and do a better job of tackling and continue to play with a sense of urgency.

"Just help our defense, help our offense, try not to put the team in a position where they have to scratch and claw and fight to keep scores off the board. We have to be an asset, not a liability."

Travis Kirschke, who returned to start at left defensive end in Baltimore for the first time in four games, missed his second practice yesterday with a sore calf that was previously torn.

Chris Kemoeatu went through his second full practice and likely will start at left guard after missing one game with a sprained MCL.

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