Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the inactive players for Pittsburgh Steelers-New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.
Considering the number of injuries the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week, this inactives list ain’t nothin’.
Here are Pittsburgh’s inactive players for tonight:
Despite injuries to Isaac Seumalo and Mason Cole, the Steelers didn’t elevate any offensive linemen for tonight’s Patriots game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers elevated just one player from the practice squad this afternoon, and it wasn’t an offensive lineman.
Pittsburgh’s starting guard and center, Isaac Seumalo and Mason Cole, have been nursing shoulder and neck injuries this week and had questionable designations on the team’s final injury report on Wednesday.
Cole had an awful performance versus the Arizona Cardinals with several errant snaps. Should he play, Mitch Trubisky and the Steelers’ offense should hope Cole cleans that up, or it could be a long night.
Pittsburgh’s inactive list will be released at 6:46 p.m. for the 8:15 kickoff. If Seumalo is out, rookie Spencer Anderson would make his first start. Veteran Nate Herbig, who started versus the Texans and Ravens earlier this season, would be in for Cole.
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Myles Jack got denied an opportunity to suit up for the Steelers for the second consecutive week.
Myles Jack got denied an opportunity to suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second consecutive week. Instead, they chose to elevate Kyron Johnson, as they did for the Week 13 Arizona Cardinals game.
Johnson, signed by the Steelers on Oct. 10, was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft and played primarily on special teams. That’s been his role thus far for Pittsburgh — last week he played 13 snaps on special teams and zero on defense.
Expect the same tonight against the Patriots, as the Steelers will likely go with Mykal Walker and Mark Robinson at inside linebacker if Elandon Roberts doesn’t play. We could also see Blake Martinez activated for the first time since he was signed on Nov. 21.
It’s just not Jack’s time — yet. He still has some work to do. “Jack’s getting back into shape,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said on Tuesday. “We like Myles as a football player. Myles is — obviously, the things that have held Myles back are just he’s got long-term injury stuff — but as far as a football player, I have no doubt about him as a football player.”
We have elevated LB Kyron Johnson to the Active/Inactive roster from the practice squad. @BordasLawhttps://t.co/CTdjenHAdL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 7, 2023
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If Elandon Roberts can’t play versus the Patriots tonight, Minkah Fitzpatrick will wear the green dot.
Communication is key on both sides of the ball, which was lacking once Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts went down with a groin injury last week.
Once Roberts was ruled out, Mykal Walker, signed to the practice squad on Oct. 30, had lead critical responsibilities with the green dot and communication dropped off. To combat this, if Roberts (questionable on injury report) can’t go, the green dot will be given to Minkah Fitzpatrick.
“If Elandon is not the guy, it would probably be Minkah from a hierarchy of green dots, if you will,” Tomlin said in his weekly Q&A session with Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.
Fitzpatrick is dealing with an issue of his own but has no injury designation going into tonight’s game. He played with a broken hand against the Arizona Cardinals.
Typically, an inside linebacker relays plays from the coaches to the rest of the defense. But given the mess Pittsburgh has at the position that once was one of their best depth-wise, it’s best a veteran takes over.
It’s likely Roberts won’t play. There’s no sense in risking further injury at a position of need as the Steelers attempt to make a playoff run.
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Najee Harris is expected to suit up vs. Patriots tonight.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report. However, according to multiple NFL sources, the knee injury that made him pop up on the injury report this week won’t keep him out of this week’s game against the New England Patriots.
Harris currently leads the Steelers with 661 rushing yards on 159 carries. He also leads the team with four rushing touchdowns. Harris is part of the Steelers’ new two-headed monster in the run game with Jaylen Warren. Warren is second on the team with 601 rushing yards and three touchdowns of his own.
The Patriots, who boast the eighth-best defense in the NFL, have surrendered just nine touchdowns and 81.8 yards per game to running backs.
The two-headed monster will need a solid outing tonight to take some pressure off Mitch Trubisky and the struggling pass game.
#Steelers RB Najee Harris (knee) is expected to play tonight vs. the #Patriots, plus other updates from @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/igYM0VpaWn
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 7, 2023
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Here’s the final injury report for Steelers-Patriots TNF matchup on Prime.
Going into last week’s showdown with the Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers were relatively healthy aside from tackle Montravius Adams. Heading into tomorrow’s “Thursday Night Football” game, it’s an entirely different story.
Najee Harris popped up on the injury report with a knee injury and is questionable for the Patriots matchup.
Here’s the full rundown from Steelers.com.
The Steelers will defend Bailey Zappe at QB on Thursday Night Football.
There are few teams you can point to that have a worse offense than the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, but their upcoming opponent is one of them.
The New England Patriots quarterback quandary has continued this year after Mac Jones was benched several times for 2022 fourth-rounder Bailey Zappe.
Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reported that Zappe will start versus Pittsburgh on Thursday night, stating that he “did enough” in the Patriots’ 0-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
So it’ll be the Mitch Trubisky-Bailey Zappe show for the national NFL-viewing audience.
Zappe’s first start of the season was that very game where he threw for 141 yards on 13 completions (25 attempts). He also took five sacks.
The Steelers pass defense is ranked 19th, allowing 227 yards per game to quarterbacks.
Looks like Bailey Zappe did enough Sunday to keep his job for Thursday night. He’s scheduled to speak to reporters today along with offensive captains
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 5, 2023
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Want to watch the Steelers vs. Patriots in person? Tickets still remain for this Week 14 matchup.
After a weather-delayed loss against the Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to rebound in Week 14.
Next up, the Steelers host the New England Patriots on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8:15 p.m. EST.
Want to watch the Steelers in person this week? Check out Vivid Seats to find the perfect Pittsburgh Steelers tickets for you and anybody else you want sitting beside you as Pittsburgh looks to get a big win
As of this publication, the cheapest available Steelers vs. Patriots tickets were priced at $34.
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2023 marks the first season that “Thursday Night Football” games can be flexed.
No one wants to see the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots go head-to-head in a Thursday night game. It has snooze-fest written all over it.
However, the NFL and Amazon Prime Video felt that the two franchises offered enough appeal to draw a strong audience — the opportunity to flex the game passed two weeks ago, leaving football fans to deal with it or watch “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” instead.
2023 marks the first season that “Thursday Night Football” games can be flexed. At May’s NFL owners meeting, the option to flex TNF games was put to a vote, which passed 24-8, with the Steelers as one of the eight teams against it.
Unlike Monday Night Football, which requires 12 days’ notice, TNF is a whopping 28 days and can only occur between Weeks 13 to 17.
Schedule note: The Patriots-at-Steelers game is locked in for Thursday, Dec. 7 and will not be flexed.
As part of the new Thursday night flexible schedule rules, a decision was due no later than 28 days prior to the game. That deadline has passed.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 13, 2023
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