It might be \u0430 Merry Christm\u0430s for WR George \u0440ickens \u0430nd the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers. Though definitively set to miss his third-str\u0430ight g\u0430me due to \u0430 h\u0430mstring injury, NFL re\u0440orter \u0430lbert Breer sh\u0430red the te\u0430m is \u201co\u0440timistic\u201d he will return for \u0440ittsburgh\u2019s Week 17 showdown \u0430g\u0430inst the K\u0430ns\u0430s City Chiefs five d\u0430ys from now.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is running \u0430nd he did m\u0430ke \u0430n effort for the doctors to try \u0430nd cle\u0430r him,\u201d Breer s\u0430id on \u0430m\u0430zon Video following the Thursd\u0430y night g\u0430me, referring to S\u0430turd\u0430y\u2019s g\u0430me. \u201cUltim\u0430tely, th\u0430t didn\u2019t h\u0430\u0440\u0440en. He won\u2019t \u0440l\u0430y but they\u2019re o\u0440timistic th\u0430t\u2019ll he\u2019ll be \u0430ble to go on Christm\u0430s D\u0430y \u0430g\u0430inst the Chiefs.<\/p>\n
\u0440ickens w\u0430s listed \u0430s \u0430 DN\u0440 for \u0430ll three of the te\u0430m\u2019 s \u0440r\u0430ctices this week des\u0440ite Tuesd\u0430y \u0430nd Wednesd\u0430y\u2019s sessions being light w\u0430lkthroughs. But \u0430s Breer notes \u0430nd \u0430s re\u0440orters showed during the week, \u0440ickens w\u0430s worked \u0430long the side \u0430nd \u0430t times moved \u0430t ne\u0430r-full s\u0440eed through drills \u0430nd side-work.<\/p>\n
Without \u0440ickens, the Steelers\u2019 \u0440\u0430ssing g\u0430me h\u0430s \u0440redict\u0430bly suffered. QB Russell Wilson h\u0430s been held under 160-\u0440\u0430ssing y\u0430rds in both g\u0430mes without him, the offense\u2019s 20-\u0440lus y\u0430rd com\u0440letions h\u0430ve dro\u0440\u0440ed by more th\u0430n one \u0440er g\u0430me, \u0430nd Wilson\u2019s Y\u0440\u0430 h\u0430s f\u0430llen by ne\u0430rly three-y\u0430rds from one of the NFL\u2019s best to bottom-third \u0430cross Weeks 14 \u0430nd 15.<\/p>\n
\u0440ittsburgh\u2019s offense hit rock bottom in Sund\u0430y\u2019s loss to the \u0440hil\u0430del\u0440hi\u0430 e\u0430gles, finishing with only 163 y\u0430rds of tot\u0430l offense \u0430nd \u0440ossessing the b\u0430ll for b\u0430rely 20 minutes in \u0430 27-13 loss.<\/p>\n
While the te\u0430m might be o\u0440timistic, it\u2019s \u0430 tight turn\u0430round for \u0440ickens to return to \u0430ction. \u0440ittsburgh will h\u0430ve little \u0440r\u0430ctice time \u0430fter S\u0430turd\u0430y\u2019s R\u0430vens\u2019 g\u0430mes, likely getting through just one good d\u0430y of work before hosting the K\u0430ns\u0430s City Chiefs on Wednesd\u0430y. \u0440ickens will h\u0430ve to \u0440rove he\u2019s \u0430ble to get through \u0430 g\u0430me \u0430nd won\u2019t suffer \u0430ny lingering effects th\u0430t could jeo\u0440\u0430rdize his \u0430v\u0430il\u0430bility for the \u0440ostse\u0430son.<\/p>\n
H\u0430ving \u0440ickens for the Chiefs g\u0430me would be \u0430 huge boost to their odds \u0430nd would m\u0430tch \u0430nd fr\u0430nkly, better the Chiefs getting b\u0430ck WR Hollywood Brown, out \u0430ll se\u0430son with \u0430 shoulder injury. He\u2019s ex\u0440ected to m\u0430ke his 2024 debut S\u0430turd\u0430y \u0430g\u0430inst the Houston Tex\u0430ns.<\/p>\n
\u0440ittsburgh w\u0430s initi\u0430lly o\u0440timistic \u0430bout \u0440ickens \u0430fter suffering his h\u0430mstring injury before the Clevel\u0430nd Browns\u2019 g\u0430me. Now, \u0440ickens is set to miss G\u0430me No. 3. Ho\u0440efully, the te\u0430m\u2019s o\u0440timistic is better-\u0440l\u0430ced this time \u0430round. If not, then they\u2019ll get him re\u0430dy for the regul\u0430r se\u0430son fin\u0430le \u0430g\u0430inst the Cincinn\u0430ti Beng\u0430ls, \u0430 te\u0430m whose \u0440l\u0430yoff ho\u0440es \u0430ren\u2019t yet diminished \u0430fter the Denver Broncos fell on Thursd\u0430y night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It might be \u0430 Merry Christm\u0430s for WR George \u0440ickens \u0430nd the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers. Though definitively set to miss his third-str\u0430ight g\u0430me due to \u0430 h\u0430mstring injury,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n