Replacement RB Ridley has Patriots game circled
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Teammates say Steelers running back Stevan Ridley was running with a spark in practice on Thursday.
无毛视频淗ell yeah,无毛视频� said guard Ramon Foster. 无毛视频淲ouldn无毛视频檛 you?无毛视频�
Ridley most likely replaces James Conner again this week and this week he无毛视频檚 doing so with more than a spark in practice. He无毛视频檚 telling reporters that he wants revenge.
Ridley complained to a Boston paper on Wednesday that 无毛视频淚 want this game more than any other game, man.无毛视频�
Ridley is riled up about the way the Patriots treated him following his knee injury in 2014. Ridley rushed for 1,263 yards in one of his four seasons with the team, but after the injury he was let go 无毛视频� used up and thrown to the curb.
无毛视频淚 was trashed after an injury,无毛视频� he told the Boston 无毛视频.
Ridley didn无毛视频檛 back from his stance when asked by Pittsburgh reporters if he was quoted correctly.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not going to shy away from it,无毛视频� Ridley said. 无毛视频淥f course. It无毛视频檚 my old team. It really hasn无毛视频檛 set well and I无毛视频檓 a competitor, so I无毛视频檓 going to compete. To have this opportunity to be out on the field and going against my old team, I mean, you can bet it. I无毛视频檓 fired up about it and excited. It无毛视频檚 a challenge anybody would want if you play in this business and competed like I have my whole life.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 a lot of my boys over there. It无毛视频檚 a lot of my teammates. And, when I look at it I think I compete harder against some of my homies than I do people I don无毛视频檛 know. That无毛视频檚 just really what it is, man. It无毛视频檚 not a jab at them. I无毛视频檓 an honest person. I无毛视频檓 up front. But this game无毛视频檚 been circled on the schedule a long time.无毛视频�
Conner suffered a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of the Dec. 2 game against Chargers. Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels split time last week in Conner无毛视频檚 place. Ridley carried five times for four yards.
Was he running with a spark in practice Thursday?
Ridley paused and said with effect, 无毛视频淵eah.无毛视频�
NO NEWS GOOD FOR BOSWELL?
Chris Boswell had his 无毛视频渢ryout无毛视频� Thursday but special teams coordinator Danny Smith wouldn无毛视频檛 say if Boswell will be retained. The Steelers tried out Kai Forbath and Matt McCrane on Wednesday, and Boswell was to get his chance the next day.
But, Smith kept his thoughts to himself. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l go in and discuss those things,无毛视频� Smith said. 无毛视频淭hat was the plan and we haven无毛视频檛 had that discussion yet.无毛视频�
It would seem that the Steelers will keep Boswell. Not only did he practice Thursday, he worked with former Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham on technique.
无毛视频淎nything kicker to kicker always is help, right?无毛视频� Smith said. 无毛视频淜icker to kicker; sportswriter to sportswriter; coach to coach; trainer to trainer. They share general information. They无毛视频檝e had similar experiences.无毛视频�
The Steelers would like to keep Boswell, since it would cost them $2.8 million in cap space to let him go. But, of course, they need competence at the position after Boswell missed from 39 and 40 yards in last Sunday无毛视频檚 three-point loss to Oakland. He无毛视频檚 missed six field goals and five extra points this season.
SECONDARY CHANGES
After Cam Sutton confirmed that he practiced as the first-team nickel back and Artie Burns confirmed he was rotating with the first-team outside cornerbacks on Wednesday, nobody was saying much about Thursday无毛视频檚 practice 无毛视频� other than minor details, such as Burns无毛视频� stellar interception.
无毛视频淒efinitely felt good,无毛视频� said Burns, the deposed former first-rounder who was knocked from first team into a rotation with Coty Sensabaugh after two games. The rotation lasted four games before Burns was benched on defense. He无毛视频檚 played only 11 snaps in the last seven games.
But, there seems to be signs of life for the fastest cornerback on the team.
无毛视频淵eah, he无毛视频檚 doing a lot of good things for us,无毛视频� said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. 无毛视频淏ut I无毛视频檓 not going to comment on anybody starting or not starting.无毛视频�
If Burns were to play, what无毛视频檚 to be expected from him after the prolonged absence?
无毛视频淚f it was me,无毛视频� said Butler, 无毛视频渋n my experience, I would be on edge trying to play my best football again. I would be. I think anybody that无毛视频檚 been in that situation and gets a chance to come back and play, you无毛视频檙e always going to try to be in your very best mind frame and try to put my best effort, and I think he will do that.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 want to be out there,无毛视频� said Burns. 无毛视频淟ate in the season, after all this time, it无毛视频檚 kind of time for it to pay off.无毛视频�
As for Sutton, his only career start was last year against the Patriots. He wouldn无毛视频檛 say if he无毛视频檒l make it two for two this week.
无毛视频淛ust getting the reps in general,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淒oing both, inside and outside. Obviously Artie was working at corner, taking reps that we get. Just ready to go if called upon.无毛视频�
SPARK UP
Foster wanted to add that Ridley wasn无毛视频檛 the only player practicing with an edge on Thursday.
无毛视频淚 hope you saw a spark from everybody,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 that type of week, man.无毛视频�
The previous day there was more buzz on the field with loud and basic communication, according to Foster. Thursday was different.
无毛视频淚t was more business as usual,无毛视频� Foster said. 无毛视频淲e can无毛视频檛 overhype it, because then if you have a bad play you can find yourself in a depressed state. So you don无毛视频檛 want to be too hyped about it. You无毛视频檝e just got to understand the situation. Their situation is a little bit better than ours. We NEED this. They just want it.无毛视频�