Dec 7, 2016 3 min read

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Rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave did not practice on Wednesday as he continues to work his way back through concussion protocol.

Hargrave suffered a concussion in last Sunday’s 24-14 win over the New York Giants and, at least at this point, it doesn’t look good for him being cleared in time to play Sunday in Buffalo.

Head coach Mike Tomlin has been consistent over the course of his career in not playing rookies who don’t get a lot of practice time. And if Hargrave can’t get back on the practice field by Thursday – which could still be pushing things – the Steelers will likely be playing the NFL’s No. 1 rushing attack without the services of their starting nose tackle.

That’s not good.

Concussions heal differently in every person and it’s difficult to tell what stage of the protocol Hargrave is in since he is not practicing yet. He was in the locker room Wednesday but players in the protocol cannot be interviewed, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.

Daniel McCullers would be in line to get the start if Hargrave can’t play. He has played 111 defensive snaps this season. To put that into perspective, reserve safety Jordan Dangerfield has played 121 defense snaps.

In a game such as this one, you would figure the Steelers, who are typically in their nickel defense 70 or so percent of the time, could wind up playing more of their base 3-4. That will mean a lot more snaps for McCullers.

@ Rex Ryan said today the Bills had hoped that by releasing cornerback Ross Cockrell during the first set of cuts last year, they could sneak him through waivers and add him to their practice squad.

The Steelers signed Cockrell to their 53-man roster a week later and he became a fixture in their lineup two weeks later.

Cockrell has played more snaps than any other defensive player for the Steelers this season.

@ There is expected to be about two feet of snow falling in the greater Bufffalo area Saturday. That could make for an interesting game Sunday.

Most of the Steelers haven’t played in anything like that – who has?

The key will be how well that snowfall is cleared off the field in Buffalo.

A sloppy game would seem to favor the Bills, who are built to run the ball.

But the Bills also don’t stop the run all that well – which must drive a defensive coach such as Ryan crazy. Buffalo allows opponents 116 yards per game on the ground.

@ Running back DeAngelo Williams was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. He still needs to do more to be ready to play Sunday, but at least he’s trending in the right direction.

@ Ryan today on James Harrison: “James has whipped a lot of guys over the years. Now he’s whipping Father Time.”