ATLANTA — Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of Sunday's game against Atlanta after taking a blow to the head in the third quarter, leaving his status uncertain for next week's game at Oakland.

Roethlisberger did not return and watched the end of the Falcons' 41-38 win in overtime from the sideline.

Coach Bill Cowher said he could not update Roethlisberger's status.

"Ben is sore," Cowher said. "I don't have any initial diagnosis on him. He got hit in the head. I don't want to speculate at this point, but he was on the sideline at the end of the game and he was understanding everything that was going on."

Roethlisberger was not made available to reporters after the game. He was moving slowly and was in obvious discomfort as he put on his shirt and jacket at his locker.

Roethlisberger appeared to receive a helmet-to-helmet hit in the face mask from defensive end Chauncey Davis immediately after releasing a pass, which was dropped by Hines Ward with 7:40 left in the third. Defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Ed Hartwell also hit the quarterback on the play.

Cowher wouldn't discuss the legality of the hit by Davis.

"The league will handle that," he said. "I'm not going to be judgmental. The league will handle that."

Davis defended his play.

"It was a good hit," he said. "I don't think that I put my helmet into it. I wasn't trying to do it. It was a good hit and there were two (other) guys that hit him so I really don't know. I mean, I'll just have to watch the film to see what happened.

"I wasn't trying to hit him like that, but hopefully it was a clean play."

Though Roethlisberger was face down and motionless for several minutes before being rolled onto his back by trainers, Cowher said he did not know if the quarterback lost consciousness.

"I don't know if he was ever unconscious," Cowher said. "He was talking while he was out there. (The trainers) were doing all the checks they need to do."

Roethlisberger finally sat up and then walked off the field with the assistance of the trainers.

He was taken to the sideline, where he sat on the bench as backup quarterback Charlie Batch entered the game. Minutes later, Roethlisberger was taken to the locker room on a cart. He returned to the sideline late in the game wearing street clothes and a black cap.

Roethlisberger already has overcome a June motorcycle accident and a Sept. 3 appendectomy. He was 16-for-22 passing for 238 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game.