If anyone understands how miserable it is to be injured, and how important it is for the player behind you to step up, it's Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger missed four games with a knee injury, returning last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. So he feels for running back Le'Veon Bell, who is out for the season with a knee injury himself, but knows that the team has to keep moving forward this week as they prepare for the Oakland Raiders with DeAngelo Williams as the team's starting running back.

"There should be no slowing down," said Roethlisberger. "We miss 26 (Bell) and our hearts go out to him. It's not easy to have an injury, especially when you are the best in the business.

"We have all of the faith in the world that DeAngelo will pick it up. He is a back that knows what he is supposed to do and will do it with every ounce of his being."

Roethlisberger said that Williams has done enough in his career to make it easy for them to have confidence that he will get the job done, just like he did the first two weeks of the season when he started for a then suspended Bell.

"He has been playing for a long time at a high level," said Roethlisberger. "He is a guy we expected high things from because we had seen it and known he could do it. He stepped up. We have all of the faith in the world he will continue to do it."

The offense is going to need every weapon they can get this week against the Raiders, who bring a physical style of play on defense, led by the ageless wonder Charles Woodson, the 39-year old safety who is second on the team in tackles and leads the Raiders with five interceptions.

"He is just a phenomenal football player," said Roethlisberger. "I don't know him off the field very well, but he must dedicate himself, his time, his body. He is not just out there, he is playing at a very high level.

"They are a good football team. They're coming in here, it's going to be very physical. Their defensive backs like to do a lot of grabbing, holding, and just being physical in general. It's a really good test for our receivers and for me to be accurate. Up front a good physical pass rush that likes to get after the quarterback." A little more from Ben:

On being 4-4 at the halfway point and where you want to be after the next quarter of the season:
"Just go 1-0. We are closing the chapter on the first half of the season so that is a good thing. We can move on. We don't have to talk about it. We can close it, move forward and be our best selves moving forward.

"It's never easy to put a loss behind you, but you have to. You have to have a short memory, good and bad. It's easy to do at the halfway point. Just close the book and move forward."

On the rash of injuries:
"It's unfortunate. When I talked to you guys at the beginning of the season, everyone always asks what is the key to the season and I say staying healthy. Sometimes the bug just gets you."

On if the brace gets more comfortable the longer he wears it:
"I don't know if it gets more comfortable. It's still the same brace. You get used to it. It's something that is new to me but we will find a way to get used to it as fast as I can. I am going to listen to the doctors. They want to keep it on for a while. I think that is the prudent and smart thing to do."