Good Thursday to you Steelers fans.
Let’s start out with this. Pretend for a moment that Covid-19 isn’t an issue and Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a couple of sore knees. We already know he isn’t going to practice on Wednesday which has been his traditional “veteran’s day off” for years. This raises a question. Would he practice today and tomorrow in preparation for the Bengals on Sunday afternoon? I honestly don’t know and we’d never get a straight answer from him or Mike Tomlin so it’s not worth debating. But if he weren’t to practice would he still play on Sunday? Not to belabor the point any further but is this a situation where you’d rest Roethlisberger and jeopardize the unbeaten streak and lead in the AFC North? If he doesn’t play, this game goes from a likely Steelers’ victory to a coin flip faster than you can say “Heinz.” So consider that for a moment. If the knees “aren’t terrible” but he has not practiced all week, do you play him?
Now let’s enter Covid-19 back in. Ben has not tested positive and if he can be all negative through Saturday he’s eligible to play. You know damn well you’re going to have lock him in a cage to keep him off the field too. With Covid a part of this, it means that he has not had any time with his teammates on the practice field. The best they’ve been able to do is meet via video conferencing which the whole team was forced to do last week. No one outside the Steelers’ organization knows how much those knees are bothering Seven. Both, not just the left, were injured against Dallas and when you’re 38 years old the recovery time isn’t what it is when you were 24. I have every feeling in my gut Big Ben will play on Sunday but we all better expect to see some rust.
Tweet of the Day… Trai knows how to do it!!
They said it was Colts day at school today….?#HereWeGo #Essex79 pic.twitter.com/ynvR7V4CFr
— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) November 12, 2020
The Podcast
We record yet another episode of the Steel City Blitz Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing, INC tonight. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover including the game in Dallas, the latest updates on Covid and we look ahead to those Bungles.
Steelers History
Gordon does a bang up job this week looking back on the 1982 season which was shortened by the Players’ Strike. Because of this, the Steelers and Bengals played just once that season, the only times that’s ever happened. While it was past the glory days of the 1970’s, you’ll recognize the names for sure in this classic with Cincinnati.
On the Injury Front…
STEELERS
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (Knee) – DNP
CB MIke Hilton (Shoulder) – Full
FB Derek Watt (Hamstring) – Full
C Maurkice Pouncey (NIR) – DNP
G David DeCastro (NIR) – DNP
T Alejandro Villanueva (NIR) – DNP
TE Eric Ebron (NIR) – DNP
DE Stephon Tuitt (NIR) – DNP
DE Tyson Alualu (Knee) – Limited
DE Isaiah Buggs (Ankle) – DNP
BENGALS
CB Mackensie Alexander (Illness) – DNP
DT Geno Atkins (NIR) – DNP
OT Bobby Hart (Knee) – DNP
HB Joe Mixon (Foot) – DNP
CB Darius Phillips (Groin) – DNP
OT Jonah Williams (Stinger) – Limited
C Trey Hopkins (Concussion) – Full
HB Samaje Perine (Knee) – Full
Injury Thoughts
Alualu participating even on a limited basis is good news. No guarantee he’ll play but the direction is good… Same for Mike Hilton who was a full-go with his bad shoulder… Good to see Derek Watt a full participant as well… When I see “illness” next to a player like Mackensie Alexander, I normally don’t get concerned. In the Covid-19 age however? It’s a different story as we learned last week with Vance McDonald.
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Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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