The Steelers will be without their leading receiver and leading rusher Sunday at Cincinnati, as was expected all week. Neither JuJu Smith-Schuster nor James Conner practiced at all the past three days, and the official team injury report released Friday afternoon listed both as out for the Bengals game.
Smith-Schuster is working his way back from a concussion and knee injury, both sustained last Thursday in a loss at Cleveland. Conner reinjured his right shoulder in the same game and could miss more than just next week.
For Smith-Schuster, this will be his first absence of the 2019 season, after playing through a toe injury at times earlier in the year. Conner will miss a third game, though he didn’t manage to make it through the first half last week against the Browns.
The only other Steeler with an injury designation this week is cornerback Artie Burns, who was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday and was sidelined entirely Friday. Burns is doubtful with a knee injury. Outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi also looks to be back from his concussion last week.
Good news for the Steelers is that rookie wide receiver Diontae Johnson finished a full week of practices apparently with no setbacks and is listed as healthy. According to the team, he was still in concussion protocol following the conclusion of practice Friday afternoon, but all signs are pointing to him suiting up in Cincinnati.
So, with two Pro Bowlers out because of injuries and another (Maurkice Pouncey) suspended, which names might have a more pronounced role than usual this week?
• Running back Benny Snell. Like Johnson, Snell was also on the injury report all week but practiced in full all three days, so he’s ready to return from a meniscus repair that has kept him out of workouts and games since a Week 8 win Oct. 28 against Miami. Snell was the first factor mentioned by offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner in talking about his struggling ground game Thursday.
“I like the idea that Benny Snell’s back to practice, and hopefully he’s still in a good position to be able to contribute and get back to us,” Fichtner said. “So that always helps because he’s here to be a runner, and I thought he was making some really nice strides the last time we saw him.”
Jaylen Samuels had been productive in Conner’s absence, but not last week in Cleveland. Snell is a more physical, between-the-tackles runner, ability he displayed when he rushed for 75 yards on 17 carries in Week 7 against the Chargers with Conner banged up and Samuels hurt.
“I’m very anxious. I’m ready. I’m excited,” said Snell, a Columbus native who will have many friends and family members at the game — not that he was ever a Bengals fan or anything.
“Growing up, I didn’t watch football. I was watching cartoons and playing video games. And that’s what I still do.”
• Wide receiver Deon Cain. When the Steelers use three receivers, behind James Washington and Johnson, the next guy up might be the new guy. Acquired just six days ago from the Colts practice squad, Cain has been picking up the offense quickly and working with the first-team offense, he confirmed after practice Friday.
“My biggest thing is just trying to get the timing down with the quarterback and making sure I’m in the right spots at the right time,” Cain said. So does that mean he and Mason Rudolph have been working on hooking up for one of those deep shots that have proved elusive for Johnny Holton?
“It’s going to happen in the game,” Cain said of building chemistry there. “It’s more of just timing and stuff, but there’s a lot in practice we did and some stuff after practice, too.”
• Wide receiver Tevin Jones. If Cain doesn’t become the de facto No. 3 receiver this week, it will be Jones, who was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the Browns game and then ended up being forced into meaningful snaps. Jones typically spends his practice time emulating the opponent’s best wideout on the scout team but insists he isn’t approaching this week any differently.
“I got a handful of plays,” with the starting offense, Jones said, more than he’s accustomed to during game prep. “Way more. But for me, I take every rep as if it’s a first-team rep because I’m [normally] going against the first-team defense.”
• Center Patrick Morris. Well, OK, if the Steelers need to use Morris at all Sunday, something went wrong. Veteran backup B.J. Finney will slide in and snap in place of Maurkice Pouncey, but Morris will serve as his backup after being promoted from the practice squad Friday. Morris, like Finney, can also play guard and fills Pouncey’s roster spot. Because of his center experience, he figures to be active for the first time after spending all of last season on the practice squad.
First Published: November 22, 2019, 7:27 p.m.
Updated: November 22, 2019, 8:57 p.m.
