Hubbard ready if needed
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� They used to call him 无毛视频淢other无毛视频� Hubbard.
And then Chris Hubbard became a father.
On Thursday they were calling him the first-team left guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers after a pair of injuries caused the third-year pro to become the likely Next Man Up for Sunday night无毛视频檚 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
无毛视频淭oday I had to step up,无毛视频� said Hubbard. 无毛视频淵ou never know how this business goes, man. You无毛视频檝e just always got to be prepared.无毛视频�
B.J. Finney, who had been promoted to LG1 following Ramon Foster无毛视频檚 bruised sternum, got a finger caught in a facemask early in Thursday无毛视频檚 practice. The injury was diagnosed as a 无毛视频渄ouble dislocation无毛视频� and the prognosis for recovery is wide: Either Finney returns to practice Friday or he无毛视频檚 out four-to-six weeks.
The Steelers were unsure late Thursday afternoon, but since Finney is a first-year player without a start on his resume, his chances of starting aren无毛视频檛 good after missing one practice already. That makes Hubbard the likely starter.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 rooting for both of those guys,无毛视频� said Foster. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a big game. It无毛视频檚 an AFC game, a Sunday night game. They get to say their school, their university, all of that stuff goes into it. But it无毛视频檚 their play that无毛视频檚 what无毛视频檚 going to determine the outcome for us.无毛视频�
Foster tried to play last week with his injury but had to leave late in the first half and was replaced by Finney.
无毛视频淧robably should无毛视频檝e just set back,无毛视频� Foster said. 无毛视频淚 pushed it a little bit.无毛视频�
The recovery period?
无毛视频淣o big deal, just time,无毛视频� he said.
Finney practiced Wednesday, and then Hubbard, father of 10-day-old Creed Hubbard, took over the position Thursday.
Hubbard has 10 games under his belt, all as a reserve. He spent 2013 on the practice squad, played in one game in 2014, seven games last season and then the two playoff games last January. The 25-year-old and his wife had their first child last Tuesday and he claims to still have that first-time fatherly glow.
无毛视频淎w, yeah, man. That无毛视频檚 the fire behind me,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 my motivation.无毛视频�
So is Dontari Poe, the 346-pound nose tackle for the Chiefs.
无毛视频淚t is what it is,无毛视频� Hubbard said of the king-sized Poe. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檝e got to be prepared.无毛视频�
The guy lining up to Hubbard无毛视频檚 left says Hubbard will be prepared.
无毛视频淗e knows the offense,无毛视频� said Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been in the system longer than I have, so he knows how to execute all the plays. He无毛视频檚 very athletic, he无毛视频檚 played football for a very long time, he无毛视频檚 played at this position for a very long time as well, so I think he无毛视频檚 going to do just fine. He无毛视频檚 got a lot more going on than I did when I was making my first start last year.无毛视频�
Villanueva made his first start against the Chiefs last Oct. 25 at Arrowhead Stadium. He allowed Tamba Hali two sacks and said after reviewing the film, 无毛视频淢y sets were horrible. I was terrible. I was too slow off the ball. There are a lot of things that I obviously noticed that I无毛视频檝e changed since last year.无毛视频�
Villanueva will see Hali again, along with some Dee Ford and backup OLB Frank Zombo. A little further inside will be DE Allen Bailey and then Poe at the nose. Those are the guys who无毛视频檒l concern Hubbard.
无毛视频淚 have no doubt in my mind that he无毛视频檚 going to go out there and execute and do well,无毛视频� Villanueva said.
NOTES 无毛视频� The Steelers released running back Daryl Richardson to make room for Le无毛视频橵eon Bell. Richardson played in all three games this season and carried twice for seven yards. He无毛视频檚 eligible for the practice squad if he clears waivers. 无毛视频� Sitting out Thursday无毛视频檚 practice along with Foster and Finney were S Sean Davis (back), S Robert Golden (hamstring), WR Eli Rogers (toe), ILB Ryan Shazier (knee) and C-G Cody Wallace (knee). Fullback Roosevelt Nix (back) was limited in his participation.