Live Wire: Boswell out today ... Colts will be without both tackles ... LeBeau still reads 'Night Before'

Welcome to our new Steelers Live Wire, a round-the-clock feature that offers news that's fast, friendly to use and fun. The previous week's entry is right here.

As they say, here we go ...

GAME DAY!

4:05 a.m. Sunday: Won't be long until kickoff. Dale Lolley, Tom Reed and I have your coverage. Remember that, once the ball flies, we all move over to the game file. -- DK

BROWNS WITHOUT ALMOST
ENTIRE RECEIVING CORPS

5:46 p.m. Saturday: As the Browns were preparing to fly to New Jersey to play the Jets, their plane was delayed because someone on the flight had tested positive for COVID-19. It had to be someone involved with the team's wide receivers. Per Adam Schefter, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and Donovan People-Jones have all been deemed to be close contacts and will not be available to play against the Jets. 

The Steelers need a win Sunday against the Colts or a loss by the Browns to the Jets to clinch the AFC North. Without their top three wide receivers, the Browns could be in a precarious position. The Jets actually aren't bad when it comes to stopping the run. -- Lolley

STEELERS ELEVATE WRIGHT,
SCALES TO 53-MAN ROSTER

4 p.m. Saturday: The Steelers on Saturday elevated placekicker Matthew Wright and inside linebacker Tegray Scales from their practice squad and released offensive lineman Derwin Gray to make room on the 53-man roster. In turn, the team downgraded Chris Boswell, who's dealing with a groin injury, and linebackers Marcus Allen and Ola Adeniyi to out for tomorrow's game.

Boswell missed the team's loss to Washington two weeks ago with a hip issue. Wright made a 37-yard field goal and both of his extra point attempts in that game, but Mike Tomlin passed on a field goal from 45 yards with the game tied in the fourth quarter. -- Lolley

LEBEAU STILL RECITES
'NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS'

12:43 p.m. Saturday: One of the things players loved about former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was his down-to-earth personality. One way he showed that was to recite "The Night Before Christmas" from memory every Christmas for the players.

They loved it. And they still do. Apparently, a bunch of former Steelers players held a Zoom call this week with LeBeau and the 83-year-old recited the poem for them again. -- Lolley

COLTS' CASTONZA NOW OUT

12:30 p.m. Saturday: The Colts have now declared that left tackle Anthony Castonzo will not play Sunday against the Steelers. That means the Colts will be without both starting offensive tackles against the Steelers. Right tackle Braden Smith was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Friday. The Steelers, of course, lead the NFL with 47 sacks. Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt need to have an impact on this game. -- Lolley

WALKTHROUGH DAY

4:23 a.m. Saturday: The Steelers will have a walkthrough on the South Side, and that can't be covered, so we'll just have to use our imaginations. Or not worry about it much either way. Dale Lolley's Kickoff is up. -- DK

BURROW'S MESSAGE

8:52 p.m. Friday: I'd definitely take Joe Burrow's phrasing in the proper spirit. This is a great sight to see. -- DK

COLTS PLACE RIGHT TACKLE
SMITH ON COVID-19 LIST

5 p.m Friday: The Colts today placed starting right tackle Braden Smith on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. That means T.J. Watt will have a premium matchup on Sunday, though he can expect to be double-teamed a lot. The options for the Colts are backups Chaz Green and either Will Holden or J'Marcus Webb. None are good options. In addition, starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo is questionable to play with an ankle injury. If Castonzo can't play, there is the possibility that the Colts could move left guard Quenton Nelson to left tackle. -- Lolley

WILLIAMS RETURNS 
FROM COVID-19 LIST

4 p.m. Friday: Inside linebacker Ulysees Gilbert was placed on injured reserve for a second time this season with an ankle injury, clearing a roster spot for Vince Williams to be activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 List today. Gilbert did not practice this week after suffering an ankle injury in Monday's 27-17 loss to the Bengals, but his injury wasn't considered a long-term issue. The Steelers, however, needed a roster spot on the 53-man roster to use for Williams, who had missed the past two games while dealing with coronavirus. Williams is expected to return to the starting lineup Sunday. -- Lolley

TUITT BACK TO PRACTICE

2:51 p.m. Friday: It might be Christmas, but that doesn't mean the Steelers weren't putting in some work toiday. And that included Stephon Tuitt returning to practice as the team held its final full session in preparation for Sunday's game against the Colts. The Steelers' practice video -- the practice was indoors and closed, per NFL rules -- shows Tuitt getting in some practice time. He had missed Wednesday and Thursday with a back issue.

Chris Boswell did not practice today with a groin issue and is officially questionable to play against the Colts. If he cannot play, Matthew Wright would be signed off the practice squad again. 

Anthony McFarland also was added to the official injury report with an illness and is now questionable to play. 

Ulysees Gilbert (ankle) is out, while Marcus Allen (shoulder) and Ola Adeniyi are questionable.. -- Lolley

PUTTING IN WORK
ON CHRISTMAS EVE 

5:15 p.m. Thursday: Here is 22 seconds of footage from today's practice - Hiles 

BOSWELL ADDED TO
INJURY REPORT

2:30 p.m. Thursday: The Steelers added Chris Boswell to their injury report today as limited with a groin issue. Boswell missed the team's Week 13 game against Washington with a hip injury. Eric Ebron, who sat out Wednesday with a back contusion, returned to practice as a full participant. Derek Watt (concussion), James Conner (quad) and Kevin Dotson (shoulder) also were full participants for the second consecutive day. Sitting out for the second consecutive day were defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt (back), inside linebackers Ulysees Gilbert (ankle) and Marcus Allen (shoulder) and outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi (shoulder). -- Lolley

WATT HAPPY TO BE
PLAYING AT 1 P.M.

2 p.m. Thursday: The Steelers have played their past four games at 3:40 p.m. on a Wednesday, 5 p.m. on a Monday, and then had night games on a Sunday and Monday.

T.J. Watt, for one, is looking forward to getting back to a normal 1 p.m. start on Sunday when the Steelers host the Colts.

"Playing at 1 o’clock again will be awesome. It feels like it’s been forever," Watt said Thursday after the Steelers completed practice.

If the Steelers want to avoid playing Sunday night in Week 17, they had best win this week. There is no way that, if the Steelers lose to the Colts and the Browns beat the Jets, that game isn't getting flexed to the Sunday night game in Week 17 with the AFC North title on the line.

The Steelers can take care of that on Sunday by beating the Colts. -- Lolley

FICHTNER BELIEVES ROETHLISBERGER
CAN STILL HIT DEEP PASSES

10:54 a.m. Thursday: Ben Roethlisberger has struggled with his deep throws this season, as I documented on the site last week. But Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner doesn't believe it is because Roethlisberger can't make those throws.

"He’s capable of making all those throws or we wouldn’t want to put it in the game plan," Fichtner said. "The first throw in the game was a concept that just a few days earlier, he had talked about."

That play was a play-action boot to his right that Roethlisberger underthrew to James Washington. Washington was open. Roethlisberger just didn't get him the ball.

And perhaps therein lies the problem. Perhaps it took Roethlisberger so long to roll out that Washington was deeper than the quarterback expected.

Fichtner said Washington is a player who the Steelers want to get the ball to in jump-ball situations. Chase Claypool is one they want to lay the ball out to downfield and allow him to run under the ball. But those haven't happened -- at least not consistently enough.

That doesn't mean the Steelers will stop trying.

"You’ve got to keep hunting the chunk play. We’re going to keep pushing that envelope," he said. "One of these games hopefully this week, we’ll hit some of those."

And he doesn't lay all of the team's offensive issues -- the Steelers haven't broken 20 points in their last four games -- on Roethlisberger.

"We can all help. Everybody can help. It’s not one person," Fichtner said. "He is the quarterback. He does make the final decision to where the ball goes. I know there’s a couple of throws he’d like to have back.

"Up until recently, he’s protected the ball well. We turned the ball over three times (last week)." -- Lolley

POUNCEY WAS TICKED OFF,
ASYMPTOMATIC COVID

9:15 a.m. Thursday: Maurkice Pouncey was surprisingly placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List back on Dec. 2 after testing positive for the virus the day the Steelers hosted the Ravens. And he wasn't happy about it at the time.

"I was aggravated because I didn’t have one symptom," Pouncey said. "At this point, there’s no sense in complaining about this stuff. It is what it is. We’re just all lucky and blessed enough to be out there and playing and providing for our families. If anyone wants to complain about it, they should have opted out."

Pouncey was salty Thursday morning with the Steelers mired in a three-game losing streak. The Steelers' Pro Bowl center was asked about Mike Tomlin's pronouncement last week that the team wasn't being physical enough, something NFL analyst Booger McFarland also brought up, calling the team's offensive line "soft."

"We’ve got to lock on blocks better. We’ve got to get on double teams better. We’ve got to hit the right holes. There are a lot of things," Pouncey said. "I got a good laugh at it with old Booger when he put that up. I put a joke back. Who cares? It’s all fun and games with the critics. It’s about football. Things are supposed to be talked about good and bad. Who cares? Things are supposed to be talked about good and bad. Hopefully, we can get a couple of wins and everyone can shut up." -- Lolley

IT'S COORDINATOR THURSDAY

4:27 a.m. Thursday: In other parts of the world, it's Christmas Eve. On the South Side, it's Coordinator Thursday. We'll hear from Keith Butler and Randy Fichtner this morning, in that order, before the Steelers' 12:15 p.m. practice today. Also on the docket are Maurkice Pouncey, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Chris Carter will be at the facility to cover.

We've got good stuff for you today from Tom Reed on Mike Hilton and from Dale Lolley on Ben Roethlisberger. -- DK

GEARING UP FOR INDY 

6:25 p.m. Wednesday: Some footage from practice today. - Hiles

CONNER, DOTSON
FULL PARTICIPANTS

4 p.m. Wednesday: Not only did the Steelers get Vince Williams back at practice today as he came off the COVID List, running back James Conner and rookie guard Kevin Dotson also were back.

Conner (quad) and Dotson (shoulder) both missed Monday night's game against the Bengals, but should be ready to go against the Colts.

Eric Ebron (back), Stephon Tuitt (back), Ulysees Gilbert (ankle) and Marcus Allen (shoulder) were held out because of injuries. Tuitt and Gilbert are expected to be available against the Colts.

Derek Watt (concussion) was a participant. That doesn't mean he's been cleared through concussion protocol, but it's a good first step. -- Lolley

JUJU WILL STOP 
WITH THE DANCING

2:20 p.m. Wednesday: JuJu Smith-Schuster met with Mike Tomlin and the dancing on the logo of opposing teams will stop.

"For me, I was dancing when we were undefeated. I was dancing when we lost the three games," Smith-Schuster said. "I’m not going to change who I am. It’s to the point where my teammates are being asked about it. My coach is being asked about it. … For the betterment of my team, I’m going to stop dancing on the logo."

Smith-Schuster said he was not being paid to do the pregame dances, but with it becoming a distraction during the team's three-game losing streak, it has run its course. Now, what it comes down to is this:

"What I can do better is help my offense put points on the board?" Smith-Schuster said.

Cam Heyward took a different angle with it when asked about it just prior to Smith-Schuster joining a Zoom call.

"We’re only talking about it because we’re losing," Heyward said. "I’d rather you dance over the super Bowl logo when we’re done. JuJu is a heck of a talent and we’re glad to have them. We’re in 2020, if you can’t dance on a logo, what are we talking about? People can’t even go outside right now." -- Lolley

WILLIAMS OFF COVID LIST,
BACK AT PRACTICE

1:28 p.m. Wednesday: Vince Williams is back at Steelers practice and off the Reserve/COVID-19 List. Williams has missed the Steelers' past two games, both, of course, losses. -- Lolley

ROETHLISBERGER CALLS 
PLAYERS' MEETING FOR OFFENSE

12 p.m. Wednesday: Ben Roethlisberger said he called a players-only meeting for the offense Wednesday morning, but not for the reason you might think.

"It had nothing to do with the losses. It had everything to do with where we’re going," Roethlisberger said. "Half the guys haven’t played in a playoff game. I just wanted guys to reiterate what it will be like, where we're going."

Roethlisberger brought up the fact that former offensive line coach Mike Munchak spent 30-plus years in the league and had been a part of just one Super Bowl team, so he wanted to drive that point home with younger players who have never experienced a playoff game.

"It's that time of year," Roethlisberger said.

• As for his own play and the way people are talking about him, the quarterback was blunt.

"Shoot, I don’t blame them. When you play like poo, you should get talked about like that," Roethlisberger said. "If I don’t play better, I deserve to be talked about like that."

That said, he doesn't feel like he's at the end of his career.

"I guess you just feel fatigue or can’t make the throw or something," Roethlisberger said when asked how it might feel at the end. "You’ll feel it. I haven’t felt that yet, so I guess that’s a positive, as well."

Roethlisberger said he didn't know where the report came from Monday that said he has decided if he'll be back next year, saying it didn't come from him or anyone close to him. He has, however, stated multiple times he intends to at least play out his contract, which runs through 2021.

"At the end of the season, I’ll do a lot of praying, talking to people I care about it and make a decision then," he said.

• As for JuJu Smith-Schuster's pregame dancing routine on opposing team's logos, Roethlisberger said he wasn't aware of it until it was brought up in a production meeting, presumably before the game against the Bengals.

"I’m so far removed from social media. I didn’t know about it until somebody brought it up," Roethlisberger said. "I don’t know anything about it. Coach said he was going to talk to him about it." -- Lolley

BACK TO WORK,
WITH BEN, JUJU TALKING

2:53 a.m. Wednesday: The Steelers open their week of practice today, 12:15 p.m., on the South Side, with Ben Roethlisberger speaking beforehand, and Cam Heyward and JuJu Smith-Schuster afterward. Dale Lolley will be there to cover.

I've got today's Live Qs at 5.

Below is my JuJu-based podcast for the day. -- DK

HADEN BACKS JUJU

10:43 p.m. Tuesday: Joe Haden weighs in. -- DK

EBRON INJURY NOT SERIOUS

8:15 p.m. Tuesday: Eric Ebron's lower back injury, which required him being carted off the field Monday night in Cincinnati, doesn't appear to be serious, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. No organ damage occurred, and no breaks were found. 

No timetable for a return was presented. -- DK

TOMLIN TO TALK TO JUJU
ON TIKTOK DANCING

12:35: p.m. Tuesday: Mike Tomlin did address JuJu Smith-Schuster's regular pregame ritual of dancing on the logo before the start of NFL games.

"I am aware of it and I do plan to talk to JuJu," Tomlin said. "But we're professionals. I doubt any of those antics and things of that nature are legitimate motivating factors as you step into professional stadiums. But it's about respect so we'll have a conversation. But I understand it's about the quality of play inside the white lines. I'm not seeking comfort or looking for excuses based on our recent performances on things that occur in pregame or things social media related."

Full press conference below. -- Carter

CONNER, DOTSON, WILLIAMS
ALL EXPECTED BACK VS. COLTS

12:30 p.m. Tuesday: Mike Tomlin indicated that he expects James Conner, Kevin Dotson and Vince Williams to all be ready to return this week. Conner missed the Bengals game with a quad injury and Dotson with a shoulder injury, while Williams has missed the last two games after testing positive for COVID-19. Dotson and Williams returning would be crucial for both position groups, as the Steelers are down to their third and fourth options at guard with J.C. Hassenauer and Derwin Gray, and their fourth and fifth options at inside linebacker with Avery Williamson and Marcus Allen. Tomlin also said that Eric Ebron and Derek Watt are still being evaluated and it's too early to tell the extent of their injuries, but that Watt is being looked at for a concussion and Ebron for an undisclosed back injury. -- Carter

THE SUN CAME UP, RIGHT?

5:15 a.m. Tuesday: Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference will represent the Steelers' only activity today. (Mercifully.) Chris Carter will cover that right here on this Live Wire, while Dale Lolley and I travel home. All our game coverage from this spectacular debacle at Paul Brown Stadium is right here, including my morning's podcast:

INJURY UPDATES

11:51 p.m. Monday: Latest on players hurt in this game:

• Eric Ebron left the field on a cart after he was hit in the lower back on an incomplete pass in the second quarter. He didn't return.

• Derek Watt was being checked for a concussion after a scary special teams tackle in the first quarter in which he was blocked from behind, driving his head into an opponent's knee. He was down for 2-3 minutes, then got up and walked off under his own power. He didn't return but did tweet afterward:

• Marcus Allen took a nasty-looking stinger to the shoulder in the third quarter but returned on the same drive.

• Ulysees Gilbert, who can't stay on the field to save his life these past two seasons, went down to an ankle injury in the first quarter. He, too, returned.

Mike Tomlin had no updates afterward. -- DK

GO TO GAME FILE!

7:15 p.m. Monday: One hour to kickoff, so go to our game file! -- DK

STEELERS GET FIVE
INTO PRO BOWL

7:14 p.m. Monday: The Steelers led all teams in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, but it still netted them just five players in the game, which will be played virtually this season on Madden. Four of the five, however, are starters: Maurkice Pouncey, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick will start for the AFC, and David DeCastro is also on the roster. 

Watt and Fitzpatrick led their respective positions in fan voting league-wide, as did long-snapper Kameron Canaday, who was not chosen.

Snubs for the Steelers included Bud Dupree and Stephon Tuitt. -- Lolley

CONNER, DOTSON INACTIVE

6:45 p.m. Monday: The Steelers' inactives tonight include James Conner (quad), Kevin Dotson (shoulder), Josh Dobbs, Antoine Brooks, Isaiah Buggs and Cassius Marsh. -- Lolley

TUITT HONORS GREENE

6:15 p.m. Monday: As news about the death of Kevin Greene reached the Steelers' locker room prior to the team's game here tonight, Stephon Tuitt, the man who now wears No. 91 -- Greene's number -- put out a statement on Instagram: "It’s an honor to represent this legendary number today for you and your family. I will make y’all proud. Prayers to Kevin Greene, a legend." -- Lolley