Roethlisberger says he’ll adjust motion

Ben Roethlisberger said the hip injury he sustained in the loss in Green Bay looks ugly and could affect his throwing mechanics in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

He did not say when he was injured against the Packers, but he did say he intends to play against the Broncos.

“It’s pretty sore,” Roethlisberger said. “If I showed you the picture, it might bother your stomach.”

Roethlisberger said the injury could be to blame for some of the missed throws against the Packers because his lower body restricts his ability to step into a throw.

He said the two missed throws to JuJu SmithSchuster could have been because he was dipping his elbow. But, after watching film, he thinks it was because of his lower body being restricted by the injury.

“It was more about the lower body than my elbow,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “There is so much compensating that happens when you can’t drive into a throw. I’m not going to make excuses. I’ve been doing this a long time and playing through lower body injuries before.

“I have to find ways to be better with my lower body. Going back and watching the game, a few times a lot of throws I missed it was because my lower body wasn’t in sync — over-striding, not stepping toward my target, things mechanically I know I can fix and need to fix.”

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Running back Anthony McFarland returned to practice Wednesday afternoon, triggering a 21-day window for the Steelers to add him back to the 53-man roster. If McFarland does not return to the active roster in three weeks, he will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

McFarland, a second-year back out of Maryland, made the 53-man roster out of training camp, but he was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury before the season started.

Offensive lineman Zach Banner, who was one of three Steelers to start the season on IR, began practicing with the team last Wednesday. The Steelers have 14 more days to make a decision on his status.

Defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt also remains on IR and has yet to practice. Tuitt underwent a knee procedure last month and has been dealing with family issues.