EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- James Conner looked great against the Jets, posting six carries for 32 yards (5.3 yards per carry) ... and then he left the game in the second quarter with a thigh injury.
Conner hit the stationary bike on the sideline attempting to work out the injury, but he remained out after halftime and officials on-site confirmed he would not return to the game. Mike Tomlin confirmed Conner suffered a quad injury that is being evaluated in his post-game press conference following the Steelers' eventual 16-10 loss.
On this run, Conner's last touch of the game, you can see him absorb a hit and head to the sideline with a grimace:
That left Jaylen Samuels, Kerrith Whyte, and Benny Snell to pick up the slack in his absence. They combined for 16 carries and 43 yards, a 2.69-yards-per-carry clip, in the game.
The bigger story here is, of course, Conner's injury history. He's missed five games this year with a shoulder injury and now will be unable to finish out a crucial contest with playoff implications on the line. He also missed seven games as a rookie and three more in a Pro-Bowl sophomore season.
Conner is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2021, giving him one more year to prove he can stay healthy. The performance is there when he's a full go — but that "when" may be too infrequent to merit an extension with the Steelers when the time comes.
Late in the third quarter, Maurkice Pouncey limped gingerly off the field with support from Steelers athletic trainers. Pouncey remained down after going low on a block, holding his left leg and then obviously favoring it as he was led off the field and into the sideline medical tent.
"Pouncey's knee is being evaluated as we speak," Tomlin said.
In yet another blow to the Steelers offense, Mason Rudolph appeared to injure his left shoulder and was replaced by Devlin 'Duck' Hodges with 13:09 to go in the fourth quarter. Rudolph was officially "questionable" but never returned to the field.
His injury occurred just after Pouncey exited the game, when replacement center B.J. Finney stepped on his foot during a handoff:
"Mason Rudolph's got a left shoulder injury that's being evaluated," Tomlin confirmed.
Rudolph accounted for all 10 of the Steelers' points to that stage after replacing Hodges in the second quarter. Rudolph officially finished 14 for 20 for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Hodges went 11 for 17 for 84 yards and two interceptions.
While no official word has been given yet, Rudolph was still in obvious pain in the locker room following this one. His availability against the Ravens may be shaky at best.
On the ensuing Jets possession, Bud Dupree and Cam Heyward both left the field on a five-yard second-down run by Le'Veon Bell.
Dupree appeared to suffer a stinger after being run into by Kelvin Beachum, and he returned later in the series. No word was immediately given on the nature of Heyward's injury. He missed the remainder of that series but returned on the Jets' next offensive possession.
While not officially reported during the game, DKPittsburghSports.com also learned James Washington suffered a left ankle injury in the loss. The nature or extent of the injury is not yet known.
Now, the Steelers need a win in Week 17 vs. the Ravens plus a Titans loss against the Texans to make the postseason — and they may have to do it short-handed once again.
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Steelers vs. Jets, East Rutherford, N.J. - AP / DKPS[/caption]
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