Replacement RB Ridley has Patriots game circled
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Teammates say Steelers running back Stevan Ridley was running with a spark in practice on Thursday.
鈥淗ell yeah,鈥� said guard Ramon Foster. 鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�
Ridley most likely replaces James Conner again this week and this week he鈥檚 doing so with more than a spark in practice. He鈥檚 telling reporters that he wants revenge.
Ridley complained to a Boston paper on Wednesday that 鈥淚 want this game more than any other game, man.鈥�
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 鈥� used up and thrown to the curb.
鈥淚 was trashed after an injury,鈥� he told the Boston Herald.
Ridley didn鈥檛 back from his stance when asked by Pittsburgh reporters if he was quoted correctly.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to shy away from it,鈥� Ridley said. 鈥淥f course. It鈥檚 my old team. It really hasn鈥檛 set well and I鈥檓 a competitor, so I鈥檓 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鈥檓 fired up about it and excited. It鈥檚 a challenge anybody would want if you play in this business and competed like I have my whole life.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of my boys over there. It鈥檚 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鈥檛 know. That鈥檚 just really what it is, man. It鈥檚 not a jab at them. I鈥檓 an honest person. I鈥檓 up front. But this game鈥檚 been circled on the schedule a long time.鈥�
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鈥檚 place. Ridley carried five times for four yards.
Was he running with a spark in practice Thursday?
Ridley paused and said with effect, 鈥淵eah.鈥�
NO NEWS GOOD FOR BOSWELL?
Chris Boswell had his 鈥渢ryout鈥� Thursday but special teams coordinator Danny Smith wouldn鈥檛 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. 鈥淲e鈥檒l go in and discuss those things,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭hat was the plan and we haven鈥檛 had that discussion yet.鈥�
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.
鈥淎nything kicker to kicker always is help, right?鈥� Smith said. 鈥淜icker to kicker; sportswriter to sportswriter; coach to coach; trainer to trainer. They share general information. They鈥檝e had similar experiences.鈥�
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鈥檚 three-point loss to Oakland. He鈥檚 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鈥檚 practice 鈥� other than minor details, such as Burns鈥� stellar interception.
鈥淒efinitely felt good,鈥� 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鈥檚 played only 11 snaps in the last seven games.
But, there seems to be signs of life for the fastest cornerback on the team.
鈥淵eah, he鈥檚 doing a lot of good things for us,鈥� said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not going to comment on anybody starting or not starting.鈥�
If Burns were to play, what鈥檚 to be expected from him after the prolonged absence?
鈥淚f it was me,鈥� said Butler, 鈥渋n my experience, I would be on edge trying to play my best football again. I would be. I think anybody that鈥檚 been in that situation and gets a chance to come back and play, you鈥檙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.鈥�
鈥淚 want to be out there,鈥� said Burns. 鈥淟ate in the season, after all this time, it鈥檚 kind of time for it to pay off.鈥�
As for Sutton, his only career start was last year against the Patriots. He wouldn鈥檛 say if he鈥檒l make it two for two this week.
鈥淛ust getting the reps in general,鈥� he said. 鈥淒oing both, inside and outside. Obviously Artie was working at corner, taking reps that we get. Just ready to go if called upon.鈥�
SPARK UP
Foster wanted to add that Ridley wasn鈥檛 the only player practicing with an edge on Thursday.
鈥淚 hope you saw a spark from everybody,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that type of week, man.鈥�
The previous day there was more buzz on the field with loud and basic communication, according to Foster. Thursday was different.
鈥淚t was more business as usual,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 overhype it, because then if you have a bad play you can find yourself in a depressed state. So you don鈥檛 want to be too hyped about it. You鈥檝e just got to understand the situation. Their situation is a little bit better than ours. We NEED this. They just want it.鈥�