The Steelers received some disconcerting news when they learned backup quarterback Charlie Batch will be out a minimum of two to three weeks -- and perhaps longer -- forcing them to scramble to find another passer for training camp.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
	Steelers top draft pick Ben Roethlisberger MORE COVERAGE Steelers Notebook, 8/13/04

If Batch's injury is not serious -- he will have an arthroscopic procedure today to determine the extent of the damage -- then the situation might not be so bad. It will give the Steelers an opportunity to take a longer look at Ben Roethlisberger, their No. 1 draft pick.

The first opportunity comes tomorrow night in Detroit, when the Steelers open their preseason against the Lions at Ford Field. Roethlisberger will be the first quarterback to play after Tommy Maddox.

After two weeks of training camp where the quarterback never gets hit, Roethlisberger is anticipating taking his first shot in an NFL game ... sort of.

"You want to get that first hit out of the way," he said. "But I said that in college -- I wanted to get the first hit out of the way -- and the first hit actually broke my nose."

That game was a step up for Roeth-lisberger because Miami (Ohio), a Mid-American Conference school, was playing at Big 10 power Michigan. Tomorrow, his first NFL game will be in the same state, and it will be an even bigger jump in competition.

Even though it's only the preseason, Roethlisberger is eager to show everybody he was deserving of being the third quarterback taken and the 11th overall selection in the draft.

"They drafted me for a reason," he said. "I want to prove I'm worth the pick. And I want to prove to the guys I'm a great leader."

Roethlisberger and Brian St. Pierre, last year's fifth-round draft choice, will get more preseason action than anticipated after a magnetic resonance imaging exam yesterday revealed what coach Bill Cowher called a "loose body" in Batch's left knee. It's he same knee that was surgically repaired three years ago. A "loose body" typically comes from the surface of the bone.

Today's procedure will determine if Batch will need surgery and be lost for a longer period of time. At that point, the Steelers will determine what type of quarterback they want to sign. They could go after a player to give them a fourth arm until Batch returns or a veteran who could win a roster spot.

"Right now we'll have to wait to see what that entails," Cowher said.

Batch's injury will create more playing time for Roethlisberger, who is expected to enter the preseason opener by the second quarter. Cowher said Maddox and the starters will play approximately one quarter against the Lions.

Cowher did not say how long Roethlisberger would play, only that he would likely replace Maddox. St. Pierre will then come in for Roethlisberger, who will be playing not far from his hometown of Findlay, Ohio. Cowher singled out St. Pierre yesterday for having "a good camp."

The game should be a good barometer for Roethlisberger because it will get him more accustomed to the speed of an NFL game, something the Steelers can't simulate in practice for a quarterback.

"It's tough because it's a position that doesn't get hit and tackled [in practice]," Roethlisberger said. "And it's tough especially for someone like myself who hasn't played yet in the NFL. A rush comes and you don't know if he's got you or not because you're not going full-go and you're not live. I guess we'll find out a lot of things [tomorrow]."

Cowher said he doesn't want to see Roethlisberger merely because he's the team's top pick and quarterback of the future. He wants to see how Roethlisberger reacts to live action and how he handles a pass rush. At 6-foot-5, 241 pounds, Roethlisberger is not nimble in the pocket, but he has shown an ability to improvise on broken plays.

"It's hard to simulate the rush that he's going to experience for the first time and the speed he's going to experience at this level," Cowher said.

"He's not going to get overwhelmed by it. If there's one thing I like about him, it's the way he approaches the game. He runs around in practice and improvises and makes plays. The biggest thing for him will be Kenny [Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator] will not standing next to him this time in the huddle."