Let’s start with the good news first. The Pittsburgh Steelers are slated to take on a lowly Raiders team in Oakland on Sunday. This should be a get-right game for Ben Roethlisberger and Co.
The bad news? Head coach Mike Tomlin has ruled stud second-year running back James Conner out of the game with a sprained ankle.
#Steelers RB James Conner is out this week, coach Mike Tomlin tells reporters. The tests came back and showed it was more serious than their initial read. He now describes it as a sprain, not a contusion.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 4, 2018
Conner exited last week’s loss to the Chargers with what was initially called a lower-leg contusion. Obviously, it’s a bit more serious than that. There is, however, a positive here. This doesn’t seem to be a high-ankle sprain. Those types of injuries are typically multi-week issues.
Replacing holdout Le’Veon Bell as Pittsburgh’s starter this season, Conner has tallied 1,376 total yards and 13 touchdowns through 12 games.