Live Wire: It's game day! ... Dotson to COVID list ... Mixon officially out ... Ben, Williams cleared ... Cam's gift from Iron Man

Inspired by Bob Maddamma's excellent Hot Button, a round-the-clock feature that summarizes the non-Pittsburgh sports world, I'm lighting the fuse on a Steelers-based Live Wire. Similar vibe, similar speed, only it's focused squarely on the city's football team. And at the same time, it offers our readers, for the first time, a single commenting platform committed to anything you'd prefer to discuss related to the Steelers, NFL or football in general.

As they say, here we go ...

REMINDER: IT'S GAME DAY!

3:40 p.m. Sunday: Shuffle over to our regular live file! -- DK

IT'S GAME DAY!

3:10 a.m. Sunday: Kickoff's not until 4:25 p.m., so we'll keep tracking any news here until then. But just so you know, game day means game day means we'll shuffle over to our regular live file once the football flies. (After the Steelers defer, of course.) -- DK

GET CAM HIS OWN
REPULSOR RAYS!

8:55 p.m.: I'm not a Marvel guy, but this is cool:

No idea who that guy is who pops behind Robert Downey Jr. Anyone? -- DK

BENGALS' MIXON OUT

5:08 p.m.: Hardly a surprise, but the Bengals just officially downgraded starting running back Joe Mixon to out for this game. It'll mark the third consecutive game he's missed to a foot injury. He hadn't been able to practice all week. 

Gio Bernard will start in his place. Bernard's got 143 rushing yards on 43 carries, but he's more of a receiving threat with 24 catches for 190 yards. He's a strong secondary-type option, but he's not a feature back. -- DK

DOTSON TO COVID LIST

3:47 p.m. Saturday: The Steelers on Saturday placed rookie guard Kevin Dotson on the reserver/COVID-19 list and added rookie safety Antoine Brooks to their 53-man roster. That's bad news for Dotson, as it means he likely tested positive for the virus. The Steelers have been under the league's intensive protocol this week, so there's a chance Dotson's positive test is an isolated one, but he'll be out for at least 10 days. -- Lolley

THOSE BANGED-UP BENGALS

2:05 p.m.: Cincinnati made a bunch of moves today, which is rare for anyone on a Saturday, but it's reflective of their injury issues that none of these even involved the main ones, those being that Geno Atkins is out and Joe Mixon is doubtful. The ones listed below are all minor. - DK

BEN 'MISSED THE GUYS'

10:55 a.m. Saturday: Ben Roethlisberger said he is rested up and ready to go after being activated from the reserve/COVID list Saturday morning and taking part in the team walkthrough. "I'm feeling fine. My body enjoyed the week off. My mind, from teaching Pre-K, did not enjoy the week off," Roethlisberger joked. "It was fun to be home with (his children), but I definitely missed the guys." Roethlisberger spent the week in virtual meetings with the coaching staff, and obviously, helping his wife, Ashley, work with their three children. Here's my full article on this. And below is Ben's full media session today. -- Lolley

BEN, WILLIAMS CLEARED

8:30 a.m. Saturday: Ben Roethlisberger and Vince Williams were officially activated from the reserve/COVID list by the Steelers Saturday morning along with Jaylen Samuels and Jerald Hawkins. All had been placed on the list Tuesday after contract tracing showed they had been in close contact with Vance McDonald, who tested positive Sunday for coronavirus. Roethlisberger and Williams are expected to play in Sunday's game against the Bengals. We'll see if Samuels and Hawkins are active in the game, though with rookies Anthony McFarland and Kevin Dotson both missing practice Friday because of illness, the Steelers could be thin at running back and on the offensive line if all four of those players are unavailable. -- Lolley

PARKING UPDATE

11:43 p.m. Friday: If you're headed to Heinz Field for the game Sunday, what's below is the official update on parking and related guidelines, from stadium management and Alco Parking, which manages most of the asphalt on the North Shore. -- DK

RAMON'S PICK IS HERE!

8:15 p.m. Friday: Nothing, I say nothing, can spare the Bengals the harsh wrath of a Ramon Foster prognostication. Once an offensive lineman, now Nostradamus reincarnated, he brings it in the new Morning Java we recorded today. -- DK

STEELERS ASSISTANT OUT

3:14 p.m. Friday: One of the Steelers' assistant coaches, Adrian Klemm, who works with the offensive line, will not be with the team over the weekend because of illness, per the final official injury report of the week. (Which by the way, came with zero surprises after Mike Tomlin's surprise visit with the media today. See below.)

Right here is the full report. -- DK

BENGALS IN BAD SHAPE

4:10 p.m. Friday: Joe Mixon's listed as doubtful for the Bengals this Sunday, leaving Gio Bernard as their main running back. Mixon hasn't practiced all week because of a foot issue, including today, so you can pretty much rule him out. Bernard's not bad, but he isn't Mixon.

They'll also be missing two other starters, All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins to personal reasons and cornerback LeShaun Simms to a concussion. -- DK

TOMLIN: BEN, WILLIAMS TO PLAY,
ALUALU'S 'A GO,' HILTON NOT

1:15 p.m. Friday: Mike Tomlin, making a highly unusual appearance before reporters on a Friday, ran through a litany of injury/illness issues, which I'll list here:

• Ben Roethlisberger will play Sunday if he clears the final COVID-19 list tomorrow. Everything's gone "according to plan," Tomlin said, and he's expected to be taken off the list. The same, Tomlin added, applies to Vince Williams. The team will try to accommodate Ben with an extra-length, extra-involved walk-through tomorrow to give him an "in-helmet perspective" before the game. 

• Additionally, Tomlin emphatically shrugged off Ben's knee injury from last Sunday: "He's fine. His knees weren't an issue at all. He came back to play."

• Tyson Alualu's "a go" to return Sunday, Tomlin said, after a good practice today.

• Mike Hilton "can safely be characterized as questionable," Tomlin said, after being limited the past two practices, including today, by the shoulder injury. I'd definitely scratch him off your hope list.

• Anthony McFarland missed a second day because of an illness, and Kevin Dotson was missing from the scene today, as well, Tomlin confirmed. But he rejected any coronavirus connection, explaining, "Obviously, being in the heightened circumstances we are in, in terms of the extensive protocol, we’re exercising all proper precautions in not allowing those guys to come to work."

For the record, Tomlin just popped into the general Zoom call between two players to give the update. Acted as if it were standard. -- DK

WATT ON 8-0: 'IT'S COOL'

1:10 p.m. Friday: T.J. Watt just now appeared to suggest Tyson Alualu could return Sunday against the Bengals: "It'll be huge. He's a great player for us." Tenses can tell a lot sometimes. ... On being 8-0: "I think it's cool, I guess. But there's so much work left to be done. We weren't super-thrilled with how we played last week. Me personally, too. We just want to continue to get better. We know there's a lot of meat left on the bone. We want to continue to be a team on the rise and, hopefully, keep this streak going."

T.J.'s full session for you:

TOMLIN: BEN, WILLIAMS
WILL PLAY IF CLEARED

2:11 a.m., Friday: Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, who's forever had a personal relationship with Mike Tomlin, and he's reporting that the coach told him late Thursday afternoon that Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Williams, Jaylen Samuels and Jerald Hawkins will all play Sunday if they pass their coronavirus tests, as everyone's expecting. The catch: Saturday's walk-through, usually a routine exercise, will be longer and more involved, Tomlin further told Glazer. That makes sense, since Ben, in particular, could use a little extra practice time. -- DK

AMAZING ADVANCED STAT

1:01 a.m., Friday: Football's a little late to the advanced analytics party, but the NFL's playing impressive catchup with its official Next Gen Stats, which offer tons of information ... so of it actually useful, like what's below. -- DK

MIXON SITTING FOR BENGALS,
OFFENSIVE TACKLES, TOO

5:15 p.m., Thursday: It was thought that a week off would help Bengals running back Joe Mixon's injured foot. But for the second-consecutive day Thursday, he did not practice and it's looking unlikely he will play against the Steelers Sunday. Perhaps that had something to do with Mike Hilton being downgraded Thursday. Mixon has missed the past two games with the sprained foot. That's not the only bad news for the Bengals, either. Right tackle Bobby Hart (knee) has yet to practice this week, while left tackle Jonah Williams (stinger) has been limited both days. -- Lolley

HILTON DOWN TO LIMITED,
MCFARLAND ILL

3:15 p.m. Thursday: The Steelers' injury report is out. Normally, a player sitting out a practice because of an illness wouldn't be a big deal, but after the past week, well that's another story. Rookie running back Anthony McFarland missed practice Thursday for the Steelers because an illness. After Vance McDonald missed last Friday, then tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to the team and playing last Sunday against the Cowboys, it will be interesting to see if the team takes a different tact with McFarland. Though, to be clear, Mike Tomlin seldom plays rookies who miss practice days. Mike Hilton, after being a full participant on Wednesday with a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the past three games, was downgraded to limited on Thursday. Nose tackle Tyson Alualu also was limited. Fullback Derek Watt (hamstring) was a full participant for the second consecutive day. Isaiah Buggs (ankle) was upgraded from a partial participant to full, while various other players who were held out for rest purposes returned on Thursday. -- Lolley

WILLIAMSON ON TRADE:
'IT WAS SURREAL'

2 p.m. Thursday: Avery Williamson was more than a little happy to pull a 'Snake Pliskin' and Escape From New York. Williamson went from the winless Jets to the unbeaten Steelers last week in a trade deadline deal. He had his first full practice with his new team Wednesday and spoke to the media after practice Thursday. 

"It was surreal," Williamson said. "When my agent told me I was going to the Steelers, I knew I was going to an unbeaten team. It was crazy." Williamson said he's getting comfortable. I can definitely say yesterday was smoother than I expected. I was feeling a lot more comfortable today. I'm locked in on everything, trying to soak in everything I can."

I've got a full article up on this.

His full media session is below. -- Lolley

BUTLER ON STOPPING RUN:
'WE CAN'T LIVE LIKE THAT'

10:53 a.m. Thursday: Keith Butler's off and running with this answer to Dale's question: "We've got to be a little more secure inside. We've gotta be better. We've gotta play better, we've gotta coach better. We've been fortunate to win the games we have. We can't live like that." ... Expecting to utilize Avery Williamson: "We'll give him as many reps as we can." ... On Alex Highsmith: "He's done a really good job of adapting to this league. Really sharp. You don't have to tell him anything twice." ... Praises Tyler Boyd's maturity with the Bengals. The Steelers' staff obviously knows Tyler better than most. ... Telling that, even when Butler's asked about Joe Burrow, he begins by stating, "First off, we've got to stop the run," then praises Joe Mixon. Yep. -- DK

FICHTNER PREPARING
AS IF BEN'S STARTING

10:29 a.m. Thursday: I'll type up highlights of the Randy Fichtner session: "We'll continue to prepare as if Ben's playing. I know there are various times in his career where he hasn't practiced all week and was fine." ... Preparing both backup quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs. Declined to describe who's getting starter-type reps or if both might be utilized should Ben be unable to go. But also, notably, stresses anew Mike Tomlin's Tuesday statement that they seem to be dueling for the role: "Both of them, to this point, have worked their tails off to put themselves into that conversation." ... On Ben's disconnects deep: "I'm hoping they're going to come in clumps. I know we need to keep pushing the ball downfield, and we're going to keep pushing to get it." ... Also expresses hope that James Washington can continue getting reps/targets in the offense. ... How to clean  up the running game? "There's a fine line. It comes down to some more finish from the blocking standpoint. Sometimes, it's ball placement. Sometimes, it's what they're trying to do to stop the run, the number of defenders in the box. ... You want to assert your will, but it doesn't always work. We aren't de-emphasizing it. I can promise you that."

Butler's coming up in a few, and I'll have that for you, too. -- DK

OH, MY!

9:45 a.m. Thursday: This is just too good. -- DK

THANKS, CARSON PALMER!

7:30 p.m. Wednesday: Best stat you'll see all week below. Imagine the percentage of those Ws that came at the expense of quarterbacks in the state of Ohio. -- DK

THE BURROW SHOW

5:22 p.m. Wednesday: A Cincinnati reporter asked Joe Burrow if he was afraid of the Steelers' pass rush, and the kid's answer will speak volumes about who he's becoming. -- DK

MEDIA NOTES RULE

5:02 p.m. Wednesday: Every week, I round up the official media notes from the Steelers and their next opponent to begin early study in advance of the game. If you happen to be exactly that weird, here are the Steelers, and here are the Bengals, both available for easy download as .pdf files. The amount of information and data in these things is staggering. -- DK

THAT WON'T HELP

3:56 p.m. Wednesday: And for the Bengals, there was no Joe Mixon, out with a foot injury.

HILTON FULL PARTICIPANT,
ALUALU PARTIAL

2:58 p.m. Wednesday: The Steelers' first injury report of the week shows Mike Hilton (shoulder), Derek Watt (hamstring) as full practice participants today, Tyson Alualu (knee) as limited. JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) was held out, but that issue's been there all season. This qualifies as good news that could blossom into great depending upon Alualu's progress the next couple days. -- DK

2:40 p.m. Wednesday: Cam Heyward just did his weekly call with reporters and had quite the response when asked about national critics of the Steelers' 8-0 record -- "They hate us 'cause they ain't us" -- and this was the full thing: