Live Wire: Game day in JAX! ... Wormley activated ... Ramon weighs in

JACKSONVILLE. Fla. -- Welcome to Week 2 of our new Steelers Live Wire, a round-the-clock feature that offers news that's fast, friendly to use and fun. If you're looking for anything from Week 1, that's right here.

As they say, here we go ...

IT'S GAME DAY!

12:05 a.m. Sunday: If you're new to Live Wire, this place gives way on game days to the dedicated event file. Bring all your Bricks over, and let's have at it. -- DK

WORMLEY ACTIVATED

4:30 p.m. Saturday: The Steelers have activated defensive tackle Chris Wormely to the roster. Wormely had been on injured reserve, but his return gives them a full complement of the team's defensive line, as Tyson Alualu and Isaiah Buggs look healthy to play. Wormley was put on injured reserve on Oct. 31, after the team's win over the Titans. -- Carter

IT'S TRAVEL DAY

3 a.m. Saturday: The Steelers will have an off-limits walk-through on the South Side, then board their charter flight to Jacksonville in the afternoon. Dale Lolley and I will fly there, as well, independently as ever. We'll arrive by nightfall. Dale's Kickoff is up, and so is my all-Steelers Grind for the weekend. Oh, and hey, here's my weekly Java with Ramon Foster. -- DK

NOT SO LONG AGO ...

1:24 a.m. Saturday: Good read in this morning's Florida Times-Union on the Jaguars' 2017 run that included beating the Steelers twice. Doesn't seem all that long ago to me, but I'll bet it does to Doug Marrone. -- DK

STEELERS FEEL MASK
RULE DOESN'T APPLY

3:30 p.m. Friday: Earlier this week, the state of Pennsylvania introduced a mask rule that will make it mandatory for athletes to wear a mask while competing. That also would apply to college and professional sports teams -- at least at first. The Eagles and Steelers are both playing out of state this weekend, in Cleveland and Jacksonville, respectively, but both are back home next week. The Steelers host the Ravens Thursday night, while the Eagles host the Seahawks the following Monday night.

The Steeler believe Section 3 of the Face Covering Order, which permits those with potential respiratory issues to not wear a mask, applies to them, but are in contact with the governor's office for clarification. The order seems a bit far-reaching since NFL players and staff are tested for coronavirus daily. The state apparently agreed. Later in the day, the state said the rules do not apply to college and professional teams. -- Lolley

INJURY REPORT LOOKING
UP AGAINST JAGS

2:44 p.m.: Mike Hilton will be back this week. So will Anthony McFarland. In fact, the Steelers' injury report looks as good as it has in weeks when they travel to Jacksonville Sunday to face the Jaguars. Only Jaylen Samuels, Jayrone Elliott and Trey Edmunds will be out for this game.

On Jacksonville's side of things, it's a little less rosy. 

Rookie receiver Laviska Shenault has already been declared out with a hamstring injury. The team also placed rookie corner C.J. Henderson (groin) on injured reserve after he suffered an injury earlier this week in practice. Also out are tight end James O'Shaughnessy (knee), while cornerback Sidney Jones (Achilles' tendon), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring) and QB Gardner Minshew (thumb) are questionable. -- Lolley

CONNER NOT CONCERNED
ABOUT RUN GAME

1:15 p.m. Friday: James Conner was asked Friday if he's concerned about the fact the Steelers haven't broken 50 yards rushing in any of their past three games, all wins. "We're going to get it going," Conner said. "But it's about wins and losses. We're going to keep working at it week in and week out."

The Steelers became the first team since 1940 to win three consecutive games without breaking 50 rushing yards with their victory last week against the Bengals.

• Conner was asked about the fact that Ben Roethlisberger has never gotten an MVP vote. Voters only name one nominee on their ballot, but Conner said Roethlisberger is deserving this season. "Yeah, for sure he does," said Conner. "But we're all kind of the same way. Ben doesn't need that to validate his resume. Votes are whatever. We're just trying to win." -- Lolley

WATT HAPPY WITH
TURNOVER PRODUCTION

1 p.m. Friday: T.J. Watt has yet to record a forced fumble this season after leading the NFL with eight forced fumbles last season when the Steelers led the NFL with 36 takeaways.

Despite that, the Steelers lead the NFL with 17 forced turnovers this season -- 11 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.

"More than anything, we're trying to control what we can control," said Watt, who does have an interception. "That's trying to punch the ball out, whether you're the first guy there or the second guy there, trying to bat passes, make sure balls don't fall to the ground. The ball can bounce whatever way on game days, but we can control certain things. That's what we're trying to do on a weekly basis." -- Lolley

BOSWELL'S HAIRS WENT UP ON
FRANCHISE-RECORD FIELD GOAL

10:50 a.m., Friday: Chris Boswell has made all 14 of his field goal attempts in 2020, upping his career total to 156 made field goals of 175 attempts, including making all 15 of the field goals he's attempted in the playoffs. Two weeks ago he hit a 59-yard field goal against the Cowboys that was both the longest of his career and the longest in franchise history. 

But when asked how that felt compared to the several big kicks he's made in his six seasons, Boswell shrugged it off as just another kick he had to put more power to make.

"Honestly I don't compare them too much," Boswell said. "That was just a kick I had to make at that time. It was 59 yards and that does raise the hair up on your arms a little bit. You really have to hit the ball really well to get it to fly that far. But the one thing I told myself before that kick was that it wasn't coming up short, so I was putting everything into that kick and it went in." -- Carter

ALUALU ON RUN DEFENSE
RETURNING TO STANDARD

10:30 a.m. Friday: After giving up over 100 yards rushing for three straight weeks, the Steelers' defense face the NFL's fifth-leading rusher in James Robinson. 

Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu addressed the need for the team to get back to stuffing the run Sunday in Jacksonville.

"That's the plan," Alualu said. "Even when we're out, the standard doesn't change just because someone goes down. People have to step up, but it is tough to see that. We take a lot of pride in keeping teams under 100 yards. We definitely have a good challenge in front of us, so this will be a good week to get things rolling. It will be great to have Mike (Hilton) back, but overall we have to go out and execute. Do our job and get it done." -- Carter

ONE MORE PRACTICE

1:33 a.m. Friday: The Steelers' final full session of the week is today, 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Rooney Complex. Of particular note will be whether Mike Hilton can have a third consecutive days of being a full participant, though there's no reason to think he wouldn't be. We'll speak with Tyson Alualu at 10:15 a.m., Chris Boswell (a rarity) at 10:30 a.m., then T.J. Watt and James Conner back-to-back beginning at 1 p.m. Dale Lolley will be on the scene, as always.

Below is the day's podcast, all football. -- DK

JACKSONVILLE DC:
BEN'S AS GOOD AS EVER

6:38 p.m. Thursday: I enjoyed this perspective on Ben Roethlisberger from Todd Wash, the Jaguars' defensive coordinator:

It's amazing how, over the years, such sentiments about Ben have changed so little. More than anything defenses still worry about how hard he is to take down. And if you think about a couple plays this past Sunday against the Bengals -- particularly the touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster -- there's ample cause for that. He's still a bear out there. -- DK

McFARLAND RETURNS
TO FULL PRACTICE

3:35 p.m. Thursday: Nothing but upbeat news from the Steelers' practice, where Mike Hilton remained a full participant and Anthony McFarland returned from an illness. -- DK

A COUPLE MINUTES
WITH MINKAH JUST NOW

2:24 p.m. Thursday: Minkah Fitzpatrick's weekly session. -- DK

SOME DADGUM BUTLER TALK

10:58 a.m. Thursday: Bits from Keith Butler ...

• On all the virtual meetings: "The hardest things is you don’t get to see the players faces and things like that. A lot of times we’re with masks also. The hardest things I think is not seeing the expressions on people’s faces because a lot of communication is expression on your face. The thing for us is to make sure those guys are getting it and we get in the walkthrough that they understand what we have tried to teach them through all the stuff that we are doing. That usually happens right before practice, so we get an idea of where they are at. If they’re not where we are at, then we try to correct it. For the most part, our guys have done a pretty good job of it, though."

• On Jacksonville's James Robinson: "Yeah, you have to stop the run. That's the biggest thing. This kid is a good football player. I think he has real good instincts as a runner. They have done a good job with him. I think they are a well-coached football team, especially offense. Their offensive line is well coached. The running back is well-coached. They are going to run the football as much as they can when they can, and they do have some play-action and stuff like that. This is going to be a good challenge for us, defensively, to beat these guys."

• On the benefits of having other players get time while Mike Hilton, Tyson Alualu and others were out: "That’s going to help us, yes, down the line. Young guys that we need to come along, sometimes the only way for them to come along is for them to get out there and play. We were fortunate enough to win some games when we had some injuries and we lost a couple of people here and there. Tyson and Mike, those guys we need them back." -- DK

FICHTNER PROMISES
TIME FOR DEREK WATT

10:30 a.m. Thursday: Randy Fichtner said the reason why Derek Watt hasn't been more involved in the offense has been because there was no offseason program and then Watt was recovering from a shoulder issue that had to be cleaned up that limited him in training camp. Watt also has been dealing with a hamstring injury. But Fichtner said the Steeler fully intend to incorporate the fullback into their offense. "It's time," Fichtner said.

• Fichtner also said that Ben Roethlisberger is playing the best football of his career. "He's had games or stretches where he's played very well," Fichtner said, but added that this stretch that he's been on this season is perhaps the best of the quarterback's career when it comes to consistently taking care of the football -- and winning."

• On Ben, as possible MVP: "Most awards usually somewhat get attached to the stars that are winning. For that alone, Ben's got the one undefeated team in the National Football League. He’s playing really solid, good football. I don’t know. I think in the end people will probably have to keep looking back and say, 'Wow,' how he played and what he did. I know statistics drive a lot. I know endeavor drives him. He would equally be able to say, 'Let’s win X amount of games.' That’s the record. That’s what we talk about all the time. That’s what he talks about. I would think Comeback Player of the Year. I would think MVP. I would think AFC Players of the Week, months maybe. We just have to keep stacking them. He just has to keep working them the way he is. I just see an excitement out of him that is really refreshing."-- Lolley

1:10 a.m. Thursday: Randy Fichtner and Keith Butler speak with media only once a week, and that'll come this morning with back-to-back sessions beginning at 10:30. The Steelers practice at 11:30, and we'll get Minkah Fitzpatrick afterward. Keep up with it all right here.

I've got a podcast up this morning that's led with Steelers:

Thanks to everyone who listens to these. -- DK

LEBRON, TOMLIN LOVEFEST: 

10:15 p.m. Wednesday: No elaboration needed. -- DK

HILTON A FULL PARTICIPANT

3:45 p.m. Wednesday: The Steelers listed Mike Hilton as a full participant at practice today. Hilton has missed the past four games. Running back Anthony McFarland also was back after missing last week's game with an illness. -- Lolley

JUJU: 'NO ONE HAS
STOPPED US YET'

2:02 p.m. Wednesday: I asked JuJu Smith-Schuster today if he were an opposing defensive coordinator how he would defend this group of Steelers receivers. "I don't know. No one has stopped us yet," Smith-Schuster said. He said teams have tried playing straight man defense and they've seen all types of zone defenses. Then he reiterated, "No one has stopped us yet." -- Lolley

INFINITY GAUNTLET DOESN'T
MEAN SUPER BOWL A SNAP

1:50 p.m. Wednesday: I asked Cam Heyward today if him getting the Infinity Gauntlet from Robert Downey Jr. means he can just snap his fingers and the Steelers will win the Super Bowl. "Nah, it doesn't work like that. We've got a lot more work to put in." Oh well, it was worth a try, right? -- Lolley

WORMLEY STILL ON IR

1:40 p.m.: Defensive lineman Chris Wormley returned to practice on Wednesday, but the Steelers are leaving him on IR -- at least for now. The team has 21 days from Wednesday to activate Wormley, who has missed the past three games with a knee injury. If he is not activated, he will stay on season-ending injured reserve. But, judging from Mike Tomlin's "big-time optimism" regarding Wormley on Tuesday, expect Wormley to be activated at some point soon. -- Lolley

ROETHLISBERGER
AFC PLAYER OF WEEK

11:50 a.m.: Ben Roethlisberger, named AFC Offensive Player of the Week just now for his performance against the Bengals. "It really should be a team honor. I'm just a facilitator." ... Roethlisberger joked that he took offense at Mike Tomlin's shot at the MAC on Tuesday. "I know need to figure out what conference William & Mary is in," Roethlisberger said, saying he needs to give some of that back to Tomlin. ... Roethlisberger, asked about thinking toward staying undefeated: "Personally, the goal isn’t to go undefeated, right? The goal is to win the Super Bowl. We’re just going one week at a time. We’re not worried about anything other than this week."

Full video of Ben's session:

IT'S BEN'S-DAY

2:10 a.m. Wednesday: This is typically Ben Roethlisberger's media day, and it'll go back to being that today after all the weirdness last week. He'll speak with us at 11:45 a.m., and we'll track that live right here, then post the full video. The Steelers take the field -- not Ben and other select vets, of course -- at 12:15 p.m. for their first practice of Jacksonville week. Afterward, we'll hear from Cam Heyward and JuJu Smith-Schuster. And at 2:45 p.m., the Jaguars' coach, Doug Marrone, will meet with us. In the interim, here's a really good Carter's Classroom on the safeties. Here's Dale Lolley breaking down the broken running game. -- DK

CAM GETS THE GAUNTLET

11:45 p.m. Tuesday: Cam Heyward sent Robert Downey Jr. a signed game-worn jersey last week. Downey, who of course played Iron Man in numerous movies, returned the favor, sending Heyward his Iron Man glove with the infinity stones in it. -- Lolley

CLAYPOOL'S LIVING
HIS BEST LIFE

7:20 p.m. Tuesday: Unless I'm grossly misreading the situation, it would appear that Chase Claypool is overwhelmed, if not outright intimidated by life in the NFL.

See, not to get all whiny on this subject, but ... we've never even met this kid. None of us, you included. All we know, thanks to this pandemic, is what he does on a football field. Imagine how much more fun he'll be to observe when the world gets back to normal.

Know what I mean? -- DK

TOMLIN: TIME TO 'RESET'
STEELERS' RUNNING GAME

12:01 p.m. Tuesday: I'll keep up with the most important stuff from Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference right here:

• The Steelers remain in intensive protocol. "It is my hope that we'll be better at this than we were a week ago. ... It's probably a bigger adjustment for coaches than players. They live in that technological world. They're comfortable with it. ... Some of us are dinosaurs."

• Injury update: Jaylen Samuels (quad), Trey Edmunds (hamstring) will see how their week goes. He expressed "big optimism" about the return of both Mike Hilton (shoulder) and Chris Wormley (knee). Hilton, he made clear, will return to practice tomorrow.

• Emphasizes on his own -- before taking questions -- that the running game needs work. Wants to hit a "reset" button on the whole thing. "It's something we shouldn't have a tough time pushing through," he said. "It is below the line as we sit here today."

• Does he need a change from James Conner? Is Conner still the bell cow? "I do not. He is. We will get better."

• "The only thing that's perfect about our team is our record."

• Are the Jaguars a 'trap game?' He hated that one: "I'm not into that trap game stuff. We are not a Big 10 team playing a MAC opponent. Write your story, what you will. But that's a professional group looking to kick our butts, and we've got to be prepared for it."

• Expressed respect for Jacksonville's running back, James Robinson, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State with 689 yards on 155 carries for a stirring 4.4 average carry. "Man, all of us in the football business have respect for a story like that."

• Asked about his team's identity: "Hopefully, our identity is winning."

• Grinned a bit when asked if Ben Roethlisberger, true to his word Sunday, asked if he could have less practice time to maintain the terrific arm strength he showed against the Bengals: "We did have that conversation. I'll acknowledge it was a very brief one. I will see him at practice on Thursday."

Here's the full session below. -- DK

TOMLIN TUESDAY

1:39 a.m. Tuesday: The Steelers are off again, as always on this weekday, but Mike Tomlin's press conference is at noon. Should be a blast hearing him pump the 1-8 Jaguars' tires. 

We'll track it live right here on this file. -- DK

RAMON BRINGS IT

1:05 a.m. Tuesday: Good stuff from Ramon Foster this morning, you guys. Tom Reed texted me after reading it, and he called it one of Ramon's best. I'd concur. I've got a column up myself, but blink and you'll miss it. (You'll see what I mean.) -- DK

MINSHEW MISSING STEELERS,
LUTON TO START FOR JAGUARS

7:49 p.m.: Gardner Minshew II, the Jaguars' starting quarterback, won't return in time to face the Steelers this Sunday in Jacksonville. Jake Luton will make his third consecutive start as a result. That comes right from Doug Marrone on a conference call with reporters in northern Florida today.

It's hard to portray that as devastating news for the Jaguars considering they've lost eight in a row and 19 of their past 25, but Minshew's markedly  better than the rookie Luton, who, in their 24-20 loss at Green Bay yesterday, mustered all of 34 yards on his final 11 attempts and, within those, misfired on six of his final seven attempts. -- DK

STEELERS TO KEEP
HOSTING FANS

6:02 p.m. Monday: Lots of NFL teams, notably the Ravens, are backing off having fans at their games, but the Steelers have no such plan yet, per the reporting of our WPXI-TV partner Jenna Harner:

I feel compelled to add that this really isn't the Steelers' call. Or Pitt's call. At the snap of a finger, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania or Allegheny County could decree the games closed to the public.

By the way, the attendance yesterday was 5,990. Not sure if we ever printed that anywhere. -- DK

COVID-FREE ... TODAY

4:14 p.m. Monday: Always good when anyone's favorite team doesn't show up on the Monday COVID-19 lists, and the Steelers are missing from today's, which you can see below in full. -- DK

THE STANDARD

12:30 p.m.: Terrell Edmunds credits Mike Tomlin's "standard is the standard" expectation for the team finding its way through multiple obstacles this season en route to their 9-0 start. "Coach Tomlin always says the standard is the standard. We take that with us into every stadium each week." It's helped the Steelers through some tough situations this season, perhaps none more so than not having Ben Roethlisberger and Vince Williams available for practice all last week prior to their 36-10 win against the Bengals. "Those guys are pros," Edmunds said. -- Lolley

SUTTON HAPPY IN PITTSBURGH

12 p.m.: Cam Sutton set Steelers Nation afire a few weeks ago with a cryptic Instagram post right before the trade deadline that had many feeling like he had been traded. Sutton was asked about that post Monday. "There are things that happen off the football field," he said. "I love it here in Pittsburgh." Sutton didn't want to expand on his post, but it was obviously something private. We don't see or hear much from Sutton, so here's his full session below. -- Lolley

A (WELCOME) SLOW DAY

6:05 a.m. Monday: The Steelers are off today, of course ... except they really aren't. They don't practice and, in this heightened coronavirus time, they don't do a lot of time around each other, either. But they'll study film, discuss what went right/wrong against the Bengals, then flip the page to Jacksonville. 

From our perspective, we'll have calls with two players, Cam Sutton and Terrell Edmunds, in that order, beginning at noon. -- DK

HAPPY 9-0 MONDAY, YINZ!

5:16 a.m. Monday: I just got done (finally) writing my column from the Steelers' blowup of the Bengals at Heinz Field, and it's focused entirely on Ben Roethlisberger's day. Hope you find it fair. Dale Lolley's got the game analysis, as well as his 10 Thoughts, and I threw in the requisite injury report.

But wait, as those TV ads say, there's more!

If you order now, you also get Dale and I doing Morning Java in our new studio ...

... as well as my Daily Shot podcast that's all about a 9-0 team in the NFL:

What more could a football fan want? -- DK