The Steelers again will be without running back Willie Parker (sprained knee), nose tackle Casey Hampton (strained groin) and defensive end Brett Keisel (strained calf) when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Keisel will miss his third consecutive game, and Parker and Hampton will be sidelined for the second week in a row.
"Those guys are getting better, but at this point we can't say they're going to be capable of playing this weekend," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "We'll look forward to seeing where those guys are potentially after the bye (week)."
- The Steelers have a week off after the Jaguars game and don't play again until Oct. 19 when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals. Outside linebacker Donovan Woods (hamstring), who hasn't played since the season opener, will try to practice this week and could play Sunday, Tomlin said.
- With Kendall Simmons out for the season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, Darnell Stapleton and Trai Essex will compete this week in practice for the starting job at right guard. Tomlin did not rule out the possibility of moving starting right tackle Willie Colon inside and inserting Max Starks at right tackle. For now, he said, Stapleton and Essex are the Steelers' options at right guard. Stapleton, a second-year man who also can play center, filled in for Simmons Monday night after the latter was hurt. Essex is listed at tackle, but he has gotten repetitions at guard.
"Darnell's a capable guy," Tomlin said. "Trai Essex is a capable guy who played a bunch of guard in training camp."
- Tomlin admitted he cost the Steelers a touchdown against the Ravens, one that would have given them a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter. It came after wide receiver Hines Ward caught a 49-yard pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Both Roethlisberger and left tackle Marvel Smith were slow to get up after the longest pass play of the game. Worried that the Steelers would not get the next play off in time, Tomlin signaled for a timeout right before the ball was snapped. Officials gave it to him, nullifying the 10-yard touchdown pass that Roethlisberger threw.
"That's one of the many mistakes that I make from time to time," Tomlin said. "I told my football team this after the game, that I've got to learn to trust our quarterback in terms of managing the game from a play-clock standpoint. I want to help, just like I want to help my kids."
- Outside linebacker Andre Frazier is expected to play against the Jaguars even though he sustained what initially had the look of a serious spinal injury. Frazier was hurt covering the opening kickoff and stayed down for more than 10 minutes while medical personnel attended to him. He was strapped to a headboard and taken off the field.
"It's scary when you see someone laying flat and they bring the board out and those things," Tomlin said. "He looks to be doing remarkably fine, which is good. All indications are that this guy's got a chance to move on and play this week, of course, provided he passes some tests. Our people are pretty confident that he will."
Digits
14 NFL rank of Jacksonville's rushing defense.
101.2 Rushing yards the Jaguars are yielding a game.
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