Thursday's Injury Report

The Steelers' portion of the NFL injury report looks as ugly as one would probably expect, given all that has happened the past couple of weeks:

"Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday

DT Casey Hampton (groin), DE Brett Keisel (calf), RB Willie Parker (knee)

Thursday


DT Casey Hampton (groin), DE Brett Keisel (calf), RB Willie Parker (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday

LB Patrick Bailey (hamstring), RB Carey Davis (ankle), DE Nick Eason (groin), LB Keyaron Fox (back), LB Andre Frazier (concussion), LB James Harrison (quadricep), S Troy Polamalu (quadricep), QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder), T Marvel Smith (not injury related), WR Hines Ward (not injury related)

Thursday

LB Patrick Bailey (hamstring), RB Carey Davis (ankle), DE Nick Eason (groin), QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday

WR Santonio Holmes (neck)

Thursday

LB Andre Frazier (concussion), LB James Harrison (quadricep)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday

LB Keyaron Fox (back), WR Santonio Holmes (neck), S Troy Polamalu (quadricep)"

If there is any good news contained in that report it is that Andre Frazier is practicing despite what is now being called a concussion ~ what happened to the spinal injury? ~ and that the list of players not participating in practice was appreciably shorter on Thursday than on Wednesday.

But the bad news is that Ben Roethlisberger was unable to practice on Wednesday and Thursday; and it seems to us that Mr. Roethlisberger is the only thing separating the Steelers and say, oh, the Detroit Lions. The situation is only made worse by the fact that Byron Leftwich has not shown anything that would give the Steelers or their fans any confidence in his ability to step-in.