Live Wire: Pouncey to COVID list, out today ... Ravens all clear, game officially on ... Color (what's the) rush?

Welcome to Week 4 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 3, that's right here.

As they say, here we go ...

SWITCH TO GAME FILE!

2:10 p.m. Wednesday: Inactives are out. This is when we all move over to the game file ... so why are you still here? -- DK

POUNCEY TO COVID LIST,
WILL MISS TODAY'S GAME

1:15 p.m. Wednesday: Maurkice Pouncey was added to the NFL's COVID list and won't play today. There was no word on whether he's tested positive or placed on the list for contact reasons. J.C. Hassenauer will take Pouncey's place. Additionally, the Steelers elevated running back Wendell Smallwood and offensive lineman Anthony Coyle to the Active/Inactive roster from the practice squad as COVID-19 replacements-- DK

10 a.m. Wednesday: Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith has been cleared through NFL COVID-19 protocol and will be permitted to coach in today's game. Quarterbacks coach Matt Canada was cleared earlier this week, meaning the Steelers will have all of their coaches available. -- Lolley

RAVENS ALL CLEAR,
GAME'S OFFICIALLY ON

12:49 p.m. Wednesday: The Ravens' rapid tests this morning showed no positives, the NFL just announced, and the game's officially on. So there's that. -- DK

COLOR (WHAT'S THE) RUSH
WILL STILL BE IN EFFECT

4:03 a.m. Wednesday: Steelers vs. Ravens, if it comes off today, will have arrived nearly a week late, with the weirdest conceivable kickoff time, and with none of the 5,000-plus fans who'd bought tickets to watch ... but hey, the home team sure will look snazzy in those color-rush uniforms, as modeled above by Chase Claypool. That was the plan for Thanksgiving, and it's still the plan for today.

As always, we'll flip all live activity here to the game file once (if) the football flies. For now, Chris Carter has an all-new Classroom up for you this morning, Dale Lolley's Kickoff is freshly updated, and all I did was breathe fire on the day's podcast, just below. -- DK

THEY'RE HERE
... AND WE'VE GOT VIDEO!

8:53 p.m. Tuesday: We have evidence. Longtime reader Dustin McGrew just captured and shared with me this exclusive raw footage of the Ravens' bus caravan making its way up the 10th Street Bypass on the way to the team's Downtown hotel:

It's difficult to discern from that distance, but it appears our heroes have survived this leg of their harrowing mission. -- DK

RAVENS HAVE TWO MORE
BUT ... GAME ON

7:56 p.m. Tuesday: The Ravens players were told on their flight to Pittsburgh of two more positive COVID-19 tests within the organization according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It was one player and one staff member. But it's not expected to affect the game. According to Jeff Zriebiec, the player had practiced with the team the past two days, but it is not a concern. Wait, they practiced two days? Then again, given how this has been handled by Baltimore, maybe he would have been allowed on the plane. 

But for now, once again, the game remains on. 

To that point, John Harbaugh's mouthpieces, er national journalists, are now suggesting the game could be postponed again if there are more positive tests Wednesday.

There's no truth to the rumor the Ravens were all drinking from the same water bottle on the plane trip here. But they would obviously like to play this game in Week 18. -- Lolley

ACTUAL TAKEOFF!

7:22 p.m. Tuesday: Wheels up! --  DK

HEADED TO THE AIRPORT!

6:52 p.m. Tuesday: Multiple unconfirmed reports out of Maryland have the Ravens busing to BWI to board a plan for Pittsburgh. I'll believe that when I see it on FlightTracker, which I'm linking here for you to watch the aircraft itself. -- DK

EVEN MORE MOVES

6:35 p.m. Tuesday: Bunch more moves from the Ravens, the only one that really matters being that Brandon Williams won't play. -- DK

RAVENS ACTIVATE FOUR MORE

4 p.m. Tuesday: Lo and behold, four more Ravens were activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 List Tuesday as quarterback Trace McSorley, nose tackle Brandon Williams and cornerbacks Tavon Young and Khlail Dorsey were the latest players to work their way through the protocol.

Young and Dorsey are also on injured reserve, so that doesn't really matter, but McSorely likely will serve as the backup to Robert Griffin III, while you can bet dollars to donuts that Williams will be in the starting lineup against the Steelers Wednesday. All without practicing. Hope he doesn't pull a muscle. -- Lolley

RAVENS PRACTICE, SET TO FLY
... BUT HOW WILL THEY SURVIVE?

1:18 p.m. Tuesday: The Ravens practiced this morning in Owings Mills, Md., per ESPN's Jamison Hensley, and presumably survived without any muscle strains. The next step, of course, could be equally perilous, as they're expected to fly here tonight and, once on the ground, will be tasked with braving the 1-3 inches of snow that's fallen here today. Godspeed, gentlemen! You can do it! -- DK

CANADA CLEARED TO COACH

10:12 a.m. Tuesday: The Steelers' quarterbacks coach, Matt Canada, has been cleared of an illness that precluded him from being with the team and will be available Wednesday afternoon against the Ravens. Canada will re-join the Steelers for their walkthrough today. It appears Canada's illness was not related to COVID-19.

That means the only assistant coach not available for the Steelers will be special teams coordinator Danny Smith. -- Lolley

HERE WE GO ... AGAIN

1:49 a.m. Tuesday: The Steelers are expected to have another walk-through today, 10:30 a.m., on the South Side. The Ravens ... I'll presume they're hiding under their beds or something. Whatever it takes to stall until more players can come back. Here's my Grind on that subject, Dale's analysis from the Pittsburgh perspective, and my podcast:

UH, A TREE LIGHTING?

11:05 p.m. Monday: Why the weird afternoon kickoff Wednesday? Simple: NBC made a commitment to covering some tree lighting that takes place each year in Manhattan. I know nothing about this event, but it's apparently a big deal to the network, and another report said the NFL felt it'd already asked too much adjusting of the networks to put up any kind of fight on this front. The great big tree lighting thing airs at 8 p.m. -- DK

A FEW POSSIBLE LIES

10:09 p.m. Monday: Here's something from the Ravens, who aren't to be trusted. With this or with anything. -- DK

THE OTHER SHOE

6:42 p.m. Monday: If the Steelers' fans weren't upset before, they certainly will be now. According to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero, the Ravens' top two running backs, J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram, both of whom went on the Reserve/COVID-19 List last Monday, will now be eligible to return to play against the Steelers after the game was moved for a third time to Wednesday at the behest of the Ravens. This whole thing now stinks to high heaven of the NFL playing favorites. -- Lolley

KICKOFF VS. WASHINGTON: 5 P.M.

6:35 p.m. Monday: According to multiple reports, the Steelers vs. Washington game that was moved to Monday, Dec. 7, has been given a scheduled kickoff time of 5 p.m. The Ravens vs. Cowboys game that was moved to Dec. 7 last week, has now been pushed to Dec. 8. -- Carter

KICKOFF VS. RAVENS: 3:40 P.M.

6:25 p.m. Monday: Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Steelers vs. Ravens game that's been postponed to Wednesday, is now set for a 3:40 p.m. kickoff time. This might be a plan by the NFL to give both teams the evening as part of their short recovery times for their next games. Both teams are scheduled to play Monday, Dec. 7, with adjusted times because of the postponed game this week. -- Carter

GAME VS. WASHINGTON 
MOVED TO NEXT MONDAY

5:50 p.m. Monday: Albert Breer reports that the Steelers vs. Washington game, originally scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 5 at Heinz Field, has been moved to Monday, Dec. 7, with a time to be announced. This gives the Steelers four days after the now rescheduled game against the Ravens to recover and prepare for their next opponent. It also means the Steelers will have to play three games in a span of twelve days, with the Steelers playing the Ravens on Dec. 2, Washington on Dec. 7, and the Bills on Dec. 12. 

That's back-to-back weeks playing on shorter than the normal time allowed, all because of the Ravens' COVID-19 outbreak that began because a coach violated the NFL's COVID-19 protocols. -- Carter

NOT MUCH REACTION
FROM STEELERS' PLAYERS

5:31 p.m. Monday: It's never hard these days to tell how players feel, even minute to minute, on a given topic, with all the presences on social media. The Steelers' players so far haven't exactly blistered the decision, mostly just keeping up the mantra of moving with the punches.

This one, though, was a zinger. -- DK

SURPRISE! GAME VS. RAVENS 
POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY!

5:00 p.m. Monday: Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the NFL has postponed the Steelers vs. Ravens game for a third time, this time to Wednesday evening. This means the Steelers will play a game almost a full week after the originally scheduled game for Thanksgiving. It also gives both teams an extra day for any players who were added to the teams' Reserve/COVID-19 Lists to be added back, should they have originally added only for being a close contact to someone who tested positive. -- Carter

NFL STILL CONSIDERING
POSTPONING GAME AGAIN

4:35 p.m. Monday: Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the NFL is still considering moving the Steelers vs. Ravens game for a third time, despite no new active Ravens or Steelers testing positive on Monday. It doesn't make sense considering the news that no new active Ravens players has tested positive. The NFL got the news it wanted in that their outbreak had stopped and the Steelers had no further positive tests. If it seems confusing, it's because it is. -- Carter

NO MORE POSITIVE TESTS
FOR RAVENS' ACTIVE PLAYERS

4:20 p.m. Monday: Dan Graziano of ESPN reported Monday afternoon that the only new positive test for the Ravens was a player in injured reserve who didn't have any contact with other active players. The NFL has cleared the Ravens for travel to Pittsburgh Tuesday after more testing, and this is an indication that the game will remain on schedule. -- Carter

REPEATING: NO LABOR LANGUAGE
SAYS PLAYERS NOT PAID IN FORFEIT

1:51 p.m. Monday: Nice to see this show up on Pro Football Talk, as I've been saying myself all along that there's zero language in the NFL's labor agreement to support his peculiarly popular notion that players from both teams don't get paid in a forfeit. The language that's there refers to cancellations, not forfeits. And this never was adjusted for coronavirus, which means, simply, it'd have to be something worked out between the league and union. As it surely would be. -- DK

DOTSON, BUGGS ACTIVATED

4:00 p.m. Monday: The Steelers announced Monday afternoon that they activated Kevin Dotson and Isaiah Buggs from the team's Reserve/COVID-19 List. This means they'll be active for Tuesday's game against the Ravens should it still be played as scheduled. 

Antoine Brooks was also elevated to the active roster from the practice squad and signed kicker Matthew Wright to the practice squad. Brooks was active for the Steelers between weeks 8-10 and Wright was the kicker for UCF until 2019, after which he spent the 2019 training camp with the Steelers. -- Carter

BALTIMORE TESTS TODAY
SHOULD BE DECISIVE

1:37 p.m. Monday: Latest word is that the NFL will decide whether or not to play this game because on the Ravens' test results due now at around 4 p.m. If anyone comes up positive, that's bad news. If it's an all-clear, the Ravens will have a practice tonight at their facility in Owings Mills, Md., then travel to Pittsburgh tomorrow. -- DK

RAVENS' WALK-THROUGH
POSTPONED TO TONIGHT

9:24 a.m. Monday: The NFL postponed the Ravens' planned walk-through this morning, adding yet another layer of intrigue to Tuesday's game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Was it postponed because of additional positive tests? If that's the case, why were the Ravens permitted to reportedly return to their facility Sunday night? It was likely because the league wanted to see additional tests coming in. The Ravens could still be permitted to hold a walk-through this afternoon. Stay tuned on this one. The Ravens still haven't decided whether they will travel today or ask the league for permission to travel on Tuesday. -- Lolley

THE FINAL WALK-THROUGH?

2:03 a.m. Monday: We're finally just a day away from this thing and, though the Steelers haven't formally informed of this, they're expected to conduct a walk-through today to prepare for the game tomorrow. No walk-throughs are open to reporters. -- DK

RAVENS BACK AT FACILITY

6:53 p.m. Sunday: According to Pro Football Talk, the Ravens' players returned to the team facility in Owings Mills, Md., Sunday night as planned for a walk-through practice, despite wide receiver Willie Snead's positive test earlier in the day. The NFL feels the Ravens are on the tail end of their COVID-19 outbreak, which is why the game against the Steelers, scheduled now for Tuesday, is still on. -- Lolley

SNEAD POSITIVE

6:05 p.m., Sunday: First reported by Jamison Hensley of ESPN, Willie Snead is the Ravens' starter that tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. That takes Snead out of Tuesday's game, and he was Lamar Jackson's leading receiver the last time the teams met, catching 5 of 7 targets for 106 yards. In all, that makes for seven projected starters for the Ravens who'll miss Tuesday's game against the Steelers, and an eighth straight day with a player testing positive for COVID-19. -- Carter

MORE BALTIMORE POSITIVES
... BUT DON'T PRESUME WORST

4:08 p.m. Sunday: Just when it seems like this thing might actually come off seamlessly, there's word from Pro Football talk, via NFL sources, that the Ravens had more positive tests today, at least one of them from a player who starts. But not so fast. The league further told PFT that these latest tests are seen as being related to all the others, not any new strain. And that's good. That's why the game is still on. -- DK 

TOMLIN, HEYWARD TALK
RAVENS, COVID-19

1:17 p.m. Sunday: Mike Tomlin and Cam Heyward spoke with the media for the first time in nearly a week Sunday after the Steelers completed a practice in preparation for Tuesday night's game against the Ravens.

Obviously, COVID-19 issues took center stage, but there was some talk about the actual game itself, as well:

• Tomlin confirmed the Steelers haven't had any new positive tests today.

• Both reiterated that the situation with the Ravens, who have 22 players who are now on the COVID-19 list, along with five Steelers, doesn't necessarily mean the league has failed at anything. In fact, Tomlin said, "We have taken this very seriously. It just shows what we already knew."

That said, Tomlin isn't necessarily confident regarding anything the NFL is doing in regard to COVID-19 testing, protocols, but not in a bad way. It just shows the volatility of the situation.

"I can't say I'm confident of anything in this environment," Tomlin said.

• Tomlin said the fact he was able to give his players three days off this week will be good in the long term. Heyward agreed. "I know I needed it," Heyward said.

• As for replacing Stephon Tuitt and Isaiah Buggs on the defensive line after both went on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, it will be a multi-player job. "Tuitt and the impact he makes, it's not a one-man job, it's an all-man job," Tomlin said.

• Tomlin also expressed he has trust in Benny Snell to take over for James Conner at running back. Conner was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List Saturday. "I am 100 percent confident in Benny Snell as a feature runner," Tomlin said.

• As for the Ravens, Heyward was quick to point out the last quarterback to beat the Steelers was Robert Griffin III in the regular-season finale last year. "That was the last win vs. us," Heyward said.

Their full sessions:

TOMLIN: NO NEW POSITIVES

12:40 p.m. Sunday: Mike Tomlin told his friend, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, that the Steelers have had no new positive tests and that he's confident the Steelers and Ravens will play tomorrow. "I want to play this game," Tomlin said. -- DK

LATEST RAVENS POSITIVE
ARE JUDON, ANDREWS

9:13 a.m. Sunday: According to multiple reports, the latest players to test positive for COVID-19 for the Ravens are tight end Mark Andrews and linebacker Matthew Judon. They bring the total number of players not available for the Ravens for Tuesday's game -- and yes, it's still on -- to 22 because of COVID-19. 

Ten of those players are starters for Baltimore. -- Lolley

STEELERS PRACTICING TODAY

9 a.m. Sunday: The Steelers will now practice at 11:30 a.m. today, a good sign when it comes down to it. If the team was still having players test positive, or there were concerns this mini-outbreak was not contained, it would not be permitted to practice today. There might even be some player availability after practice. That would be the first player availability since last Tuesday. It's also the first time the team has been on the practice field since Tuesday. We'll keep you updated, as this situation is largely in flux. -- Lolley

WHAT'S GOING ON?

2:14 a.m. Sunday: If the Steelers are practicing today, they haven't let anyone know about it. The only information shared with media -- and this was two days ago -- was that Sunday would mark a 'media availability' of some sort. But whereas Saturday, it was listed, 'No practice scheduled,' Sunday had nothing of the kind. Besides, with the Steelers now having COVID cases of their own, it'd be stunning if they did anything at all at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Take this to the bank: I've got a short, pointless and probably too personal Grind up this morning on the state of the NFL. -- DK

CONNER GIVES THUMBS-UP

10:15 p.m. Saturday: James Conner's a cancer survivor, so his status will be on plenty of minds after testing positive. But multiple reports today suggest he's symptom-free, and this tweet tonight to Joe Haden supports that. -- DK

STEELERS EXPECTING
RESULTS AFTER MIDNIGHT

9:51 p.m. Saturday: Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reports that the Steelers are waiting on today's tests, with results expected at midnight or later. Florio explains that the Steelers' results take longer than those of most teams because of their relative proximity to the appropriate labs.

Deeper into the article, Florio raises the possibility that James Conner's positive earlier today could be just the beginning, but it's based on nothing that he offers of any substance. -- DK

ANOTHER POSITIVE
FOR BALTIMORE

8:15 p.m. Saturday: The Ravens have another COVID-19 positive tonight, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, and that a second player will be added to the list. That isn't official, but it'll raise their number to 22. In the same report, Glazer makes clear the NFL's stance that the Tuesday game is still on, in part because Baltimore has other players expected back by then. -- DK

CANADA WON'T COACH 
DUE TO ILLNESS

4:26 p.m. Saturday: The Steelers issued their final injury report Saturday for Tuesday's game and also announced that quarterback coach Matt Canada won't coach in that contest -- assuming it is still played -- because of an illness not related at this time to COVID-19. The Steelers also announced that assistant wide receivers coach Blaine Stewart will handle the duties of special teams coordinator Danny Smith, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

As for the team's injury report, Joe Haden (knee) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Jaylen Samuels (quad) is listed as out. Typically, when Mike Tomlin lists a player as questionable, he does not play, meaning Haden is likely out for this game. We'll see. Cam Sutton replaced Haden after he left last week's game against the Jaguars, with second-year corner Justin Layne playing on the outside in the nickel and dime when Sutton moved into the slot. -- Lolley

SIX MORE RAVENS ADDED
TO RESERVE/COVID-19 LIST

4:15 p.m. Saturday: So much for the Ravens getting through this thing. The team placed six more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Saturday, including starting right tackle D.J. Fluker. Also placed on the list were outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson, offensive tackle Will Holden, defensive tackle Broderick Washington and cornerbacks Tayvon Young and Khalil Dorsey.

Young and Dorsey were already on the team's injured reserve list. The Ravens now have 20 players listed as being on their Reserve/COVID List. -- Lolley

HADEN WITH SOME SNARL

3:53 p.m. Saturday: I dare say Joe Haden beat me to this. -- DK

REPORT: SMITH IS THE COACH

1:39 p.m. Saturday: The coach who tested positive is Danny Smith, per the Post-Gazette. And again, repeating from just below, none of this is confirmed by  the team in any way. -- DK 

REPORT: CONNER, COACH
TEST POSITIVE

1:02 p.m. Saturday: James Conner and one of the Steelers' coaches have tested positive for coronavirus, per NFL Network. There's been no acknowledgement or announcement from the team. If that information becomes corroborated by the team and/or further testing, Conner's name would be added to three players placed on the team's COVID list yesterday: Stephon Tuitt, Isaiah Buggs and Jerald Hawkins. 

Only thing I'll add here is that, as with Baltimore's situation at its outset a week ago, there's a lot we don't know. It's not known if any of the three from yesterday tested positive. It's also not known how many times anyone, including Conner, would've tested positive to cross-check against a possible false positive. We'll know soon enough. But also bear in mind that, for every legit positive, contact tracing alone can/must take other people off the field. -- DK