Well, it’s not just the Ravens that will be dealing with COVID concerns,
Entering the weekend, it looked as if the Baltimore Ravens cause their matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be in jeopardy. Now, the Steelers have several cases to be concerned for as well.
Running back James Conner, along with a Steelers coach both have tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Tuesday’s game against the Ravens. The news of the positive tests was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and later confirmed by NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala that Conner was the unnamed player.
Conner’s contract season in Pittsburgh has seen its highs and lows. His overall rushing production has fared well behind Mike Tomlin’s passing attack, but his red-zone points have hampered his touchdown rate. In 10 this season, Conner has rushed for 645 yards off 145 carries and six touchdowns.
Could Tuesday’s game be canceled altogether?
Earlier this week, the Ravens announced that both running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram had been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list. After a second outbreak, the NFL announced the two teams would meet at Heinz Field on Tuesday night instead of Thanksgiving.
In a corresponding move, the NFL announced Baltimore’s Thursday night game against the Dallas Cowboys would be now be played on Monday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. as part of a double-header.
Baltimore will be without their star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who tested positive on Thursday. As outbreaks continue to flood the Northeast region, it’s evident that several players on both clubs could potentially lead to a larger number of positive tests in the coming days.
Prior to Conner’s test, three other Steelers were placed on the COVID-19/reserve list for further evaluation.
If the game is still to be played, Robert Griffen III will pick up his first start for 2020 in John Harbaugh’s system. On the flip side, the Steelers will likely turn to a combination of both second-year runner Benny Snell Jr. and rookie Anthony McFarland to carry the load. Combined this season, the two have collected 162 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
However, the NFL could pull the plug on the Week 12 matchup at any given second if they fear an outbreak. Any spike on either side could be leading to a postponement for another weekend.