PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Once again the Steelers were without tailback Najee Harris (oblique) and corner Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) at practice on Thursday. There were three new names of players who didn't practice.
Harris injured during the game against the Colts and did not practice on Wednesday either. Witherspoon has been bothered most of the season with the hamstring injury.
New to the Did Not Practice list is linebacker Myles Jack (knee), defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (toe, new injury) and Cam Heyward (veteran day off).
Several others were limited including tailback Benny Snell with a knee injury, linebacker Robert Spillane with an oblique, center Mason Cole with his recurring foot injury and linebacker TJ Watt with a new ribs injury that we first learned about on Wednesday.
Receiver Miles Boykin (oblique), tailback Jaylen Warren (hamstring, practiced full yesterday) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (ribs) were all full participants on Thursday.
If Najee can't go on Sunday, at least Matt Canada got to see a good amount of time where he worked in a few other backs during the win Monday night.
"Benny came in and did a great job," said Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. "Ant[hony McFarland Jr.] came in and did a great job. With Jaylen being out last week, Ant had a new role, and Benny, of kind of how we were going to evolve through that, and obviously not expecting what happened to Naj to happen."
Snell rushed 12 times for 62 yards including the game-winning touchdown. McFarland ran six times for 30 yards and added a pair of receptions for 11 yards.
"So, it's a credit to Faulk [Eddie Faulkner] and to that room. It was a great job by those guys being ready to play because it's not like—I mean, Ant, that was the first time he had a hat on. It's not like Benny's had a whole bunch of reps because of Naj being Naj and the job that Jaylen's done, which is a credit to those guys. Nothing against Benny or Ant. I've said that coming out of camp, I thought Ant had a really, really good camp and then Jaylen was Jaylen. I think it's a real credit to those guys being ready.We're hopeful Naj could go, and we'll just see."
"Those guys will step in. I thought they did a good job last week."
