"The most talked about ankle in Pittsburgh has been soaked in hot and cold tubs. It has been massaged, and on Thursday, it got fitted for a custom-made brace that will provide support and protection if Ben Roethlisberger is able to play in San Francisco.

The one thing the Steelers quarterback hasn't done to ensure that he suits up for Monday night's key game is suspend time. And that is one thing even beyond his reach, no matter how superhuman Roethlisberger looked in returning from injury to lead the Steelers to a 14-3 win over the Browns last Thursday.

Despite making what Roethlisberger called "big progress" since sustaining the first high-ankle sprain of his career, the Steelers may not know whether they he can play until early Monday night."