Pouncey at right tackle?
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Maurkice Pouncey joked that since he beat Le无毛视频橵eon Bell down the field on Bell无毛视频檚 44-yard run Sunday night that maybe he should move from center to running back.
But Pouncey wasn无毛视频檛 joking about the move the team asked him to make Wednesday at practice to help the Steelers无毛视频� injury-depleted offensive line.
Pouncey confirmed he was moved to right tackle during practice in preparation for an emergency situation should the Steelers run out of tackles Sunday against the New York Jets.
The Steelers on Wednesday were without tackles Marcus Gilbert (ankle) and Ryan Harris (shin) and were down to their emergency tackle, Chris Hubbard, who played one snap at tackle last season after spending most of his time practicing as a reserve along the interior.
The Steelers also have tackle/guard Matt Feiler out of Bloomsburg on their practice squad for a second consecutive season, and he无毛视频檚 expected to get called up at the end of the week.
But if the Steelers don无毛视频檛 make the move, they wanted to see if they could count on Pouncey in a pinch. He had only played there once 无毛视频� during an OTA practice in 2013 无毛视频� prior to Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice.
He said it went well.
无毛视频淚 made it look smooth out there today,无毛视频� Pouncey said. 无毛视频淲e slid that way a lot, so it was nice. I understand what happens when we slide to Al (Villanueva) all the time. It无毛视频檚 easy.无毛视频�
Pouncey also joked that it无毛视频檚 easier to play in a two-point stance instead of crouching over the ball at his center position.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a little easier coming from a two-point,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲ithout snapping? Man, I don无毛视频檛 know, I might like that. I might have to move my position next year for real.无毛视频�
Pouncey said he was almost forced to make the a similar move in Dallas late in the 2012 season.
无毛视频淲hen Coach Koogs was here,无毛视频� Pouncey said of former line coach Sean Kugler. 无毛视频淲e were playing in Dallas. He called me early in the morning and said get ready to play left tackle, Max Starks is out. I无毛视频檓 like 无毛视频極h (expletive), hold on. First tackle rep against (DeMarcus) Ware? This (expletive) 无毛视频檅out to get real.无毛视频�
Pouncey laughed heartily but said, 无毛视频淎nd then Max ended up playing. It was all good.无毛视频�
(subhead)Big Ragu returns
With one hole open, another apparently closed with the return to practice of Ramon Foster to left guard. It would free up B.J. Finney to play center in case Mike Tomlin needs to use Pouncey outside.
无毛视频淚 feel good,无毛视频� said Foster, who suffered a bruised sternum two games ago. 无毛视频淚 wouldn无毛视频檛 say a whole lot as far as yay or nay because I don无毛视频檛 know how the rest of the week will be, but right now I无毛视频檓 feeling well.无毛视频�
Foster无毛视频檚 best guess on the configuration of the line Sunday against the Jets?
无毛视频淛ust five guys doing their job,无毛视频� Foster said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 about all I know right now. We无毛视频檒l see if they move Matt up, or who无毛视频檚 going to be where, if I无毛视频檓 going to play, whatever the case may be. Right now I think it无毛视频檚 the regular four and Hub(bard).无毛视频�
Does Foster think his buddy Pouncey could play right tackle?
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檒l tell you he无毛视频檚 the best lineman in the league,无毛视频� Foster said. 无毛视频淣ot just center, best lineman period 无毛视频� D-line OR O-line. But, no, he无毛视频檒l be fine. He无毛视频檚 done it before a year or two ago. I think he can do fine at it.无毛视频�
In and out
n Justin Gilbert hurt a knee and the official practice report called him 无毛视频渓imited.无毛视频� But don无毛视频檛 expect the team无毛视频檚 No. 5 cornerback to be available Sunday.
n Sean Davis, who played only one snap Sunday night due to a back injury, returned to practice and confirmed that he returned to his normal position as the No. 1 slot cornerback.
n Reserve interior lineman Cody Wallace said he took doctor无毛视频檚 advice that his knee would heel on its own after no problem was found in 无毛视频渁 couple MRIs.无毛视频� But when the knee didn无毛视频檛 heal, he finally underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last Wednesday to repair cartilage damage behind his kneecap.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 good to go now, hopefully,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淧robably be out at least a couple more weeks.无毛视频�
n Fullback Rosie Nix returned from a back injury for his first full practice since training camp.
n In addition to Gilbert, Harris and Wallace, also missing practice were Jarvis Jones (ankle), Eli Rogers (toe), Ryan Shazier (knee) and DeAngelo Williams (not injury related). Robert Golden (hamstring) was limited.
Big Ben 无毛视频� again
Ben Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 14th time in his career.
Roethlisberger threw as many touchdown passes (5) as incompletions in completing 22 of 27 for 300 yards without an interception Sunday night against the Chiefs. It was the fifth time Roethlisberger has thrown at least five touchdowns in a game, making him the sixth quarterback in NFL history to accomplish the feat.