ESPN NFL

Although he is officially listed as questionable on the Pittsburgh Steelers' injury report, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger participated in individual drills Wednesday, but not in the team portion of the practice. Still, barring a setback, he will start in Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

Roethlisberger this season
	1st 3 games	Last 2 games
Comp-Att	55-102	32-41
Comp. Pct.	53.9	78.0
Pass yds.	569	476
TD-INT	0-7	5-0
Passer Rating	41.7	154.6
W-L	0-3	1-1
Source: Elias Sports Bureau

Roethlisberger returned to the practice field for light work only three days after suffering a concussion Sunday, when he was victimized by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Atlanta defensive end Chauncey Davis in the third quarter of a 41-38 overtime loss to the Falcons. The league is reviewing the hit by Davis and probably will determine by Friday if it merits a fine.

"I'm just trying to get ready and to go out and help the team any way I can," Roethlisberger said.

It marked the second concussion in a little more than four months for Roethlisberger, who also suffered head injuries in a June 12 motorcycle accident.

The third-year veteran underwent an MRI on his back and neck and a so-called "impact test" to gauge the effects of the concussion, and the results of all the diagnostics were normal. Roethlisberger will undergo a similar battery of tests later in the week. Unless the results of those examinations are markedly different from the first series of tests, he almost certainly will start.

"We'll see how it goes," said coach Bill Cowher, who acknowledged that the team is "encouraged" by the quick progress Roethlisberger has made in recovering from the concussion.

Among the Steelers' medical staff are some of the top neurologists in the country, several of whom rank among the top experts in the study of concussions and their effects. Cowher allowed he will lean heavily on the advice of those experts before making a determination of his quarterback's status for Sunday.

Should Roethlisberger not be available, veteran Charlie Batch, who has played well this year, will start. The odds, though, strongly favor Roethlisberger being in the Pittsburgh lineup. Certainly the Steelers, who trail co-leaders Cincinnati and Baltimore by two games in the division, need him to play.

The Sunday concussion occurred at a time when it appeared Roethlisberger finally had recovered the June accident and the appendectomy he underwent before the season opener. Over his past two games, Roethlisberger, who last year became the youngest quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl championship, completed 32 of 41 passes for 476 yards, with five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 154.6 passer rating.

In his first three outings of the season, Roethlisberger threw seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.