PLAYER NOTES
–T Marcus Gilbert, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, did not practice Tuesday. Matt Feiler is expected to start a third consecutive game in his place at right tackle Thursday night against the Panthers.
–DL Daniel McCullers did not practice Tuesday due to an ankle injury.
–WR Ryan Switzer, who injured his ankle against the Ravens, was limited with an ankle injury Tuesday.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Joe Haden is enjoying a renaissance in Pittsburgh. The Browns released Haden because they didn’t believe he was worth the money they were paying him. He’s now playing at a Pro Bowl level again for the Steelers and helping a young defense find stability. Against the Ravens, Haden held top receiver John Brown to three catches for 17 yards. It was yet another shutdown performance for Haden, who also kept Julio Jones and A.J. Green in check earlier this season.
GAME PLAN: The Steelers have found a winning formula by riding second-year running back James Conner, and there is no reason to change now. Conner has rushed for 100 yards or more in four consecutive games, and the Steelers have thrived as an offense. The Steelers were 10 for 16 on third-down conversions against the Ravens because Conner got them in a number of third-and-manageable situations. On a short week against Carolina, the Steelers will look to follow a similar game plan. When the Steelers beat the Panthers in Charlotte in 2014 they gashed them for 264 rushing yards. The Panthers are strong against the run this season, but the Steelers aren’t going to get away from their formula.
On defense, the Steelers have to find a way to limit the effectiveness of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who has 880 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns, They also must be aware of the mobility of quarterback Cam Newton, who has 342 rushing yards (second on the team) in addition to 1,893 passing yards. The Steelers had special packages in place to stop Lamar Jackson against the Ravens, and they’ll have a similar plan for the Panthers. The Panthers don’t have dangerous outside receiving threats so containing Newton and McCaffrey will be the Steelers’ two most important tasks.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Steelers RB James Conner vs. Panthers LB Luke Kuechly. Conner has been equally effective as a runner and receiver, and he’ll get plenty of attention from Kuechly, a five-time Pro Bowler. Conner is not just a check-down receiver for QB Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers try to create ways to get him in open space so he can take advantage of mismatches on linebackers. It will be up to Kuechly to make sure Conner doesn’t have another big day for the Steelers.
–Steelers S Morgan Burnett vs. Panthers TE Greg Olsen. The Steelers signed Burnett because they’ve struggled covering tight ends in recent seasons. After battling through some early-season injuries, Burnett will have a chance to cover one of the NFL’s best in Olsen. Burnett struggled at times against the Ravens’ tight ends. They caught three passes with Burnett in coverage. Olsen has 18 receptions and three touchdowns in five games and is coming off a six-catch game against the Buccaneers.
