JuJu Smith-Schuster officially will miss his fourth consecutive game with a knee injury when the Steelers take on the Bills in prime time at Heinz Field Sunday. Joining him on the sidelines will be Vance McDonald, who was removed from the team's most recent game, a 23-17 win over the Cardinals, with a concussion and still isn't cleared to go.
Smith-Schuster sustained a concussion and a knee injury in the team's Week 11 loss vs. the Browns and hasn't played since. This week, however, Smith-Schuster practiced in full on Wednesday before leaving Thursday's practice early.
Friday at the Rooney Complex, Smith-Schuster said he didn't suffer a "setback" during Thursday's practice, though.
"Nah, it wasn't a setback," Smith-Schuster was telling reporters. "It was just moreso like I pushed myself too hard. I gotta slow myself down. I'm so competitive just to get out there and be great, and I gotta take it slow ... I think I push myself too hard all the time when I'm on the field. That's just the nature of me."
For Smith-Schuster, who has provided a valuable boost to the Steelers offense since arriving as a rookie in 2017, this injury layoff comes with an additional burden.
"It's tough, man," Smith-Schuster said. "I've never been in a situation like this where I've been out for a long period of time ... It's something that's definitely new to me. I'm learning myself and how I react to it. It could be frustrating sometimes, but at the same time it's just part of life and it's part of the game."
In Smith-Schuster's absence, Steelers receivers James Washington and Diontae Johnson have produced the best games of their respective pro careers, and the Steelers will need them to step up once again when they take the field against the Bills.
Also on the offensive side of the ball, James Conner was a full participant in practice all week, but he popped up as "questionable" on the team's injury report, leaving doubts about his status for Sunday as well. On the positive side in the backfield, Jaylen Samuels (groin) was a full participant Friday and is expected to be ready to go.
That left only Johnny Holton (illness) on the team's injury report, and he practiced in full Friday.
For the Bills, defensive tackle Corey Liuget is questionable with a knee injury, while guard Jon Feliciano is out with an illness. Offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe, meanwhile, is officially out with an ankle injury. Nsekhe has started one game for the Bills this year, while Feliciano has started all 13.
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