Dec 22, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – As receiver Sammie Coates set up at the line of scrimmage during an 7-on-7 drill earlier this week, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin settled in about five yards behind him.

“It’s about time you re-emerged 14,” Tomlin said the the receiver. “It’s about time for Coates to burst back onto the scene.”

The Steelers (9-5) were hoping that might be the case this week as they prepare to host the Baltimore Ravens (8-6) Sunday with the AFC North title hanging in the balance.

Coates had finally started to work his way back onto the field in last week’s 24-20 win at Cincinnati, getting 30 snaps, after suffering two broken fingers on his left hand Oct. 9 in a win over the Jets.

Coates had emerged earlier this season with at least one catch of 40 or more yards in each of Pittsburgh’s fist give games, including a six-reception, 139-yard game with two touchdowns against the Jets.

But the Steelers might be back at square one with their speedy wideout after he was limited at practice Thursday because of a hamstring issue.

“He had a couple of positive weeks of practice,” said offensive coordinator Todd Haley of Coates. “He played 30 snaps last week. He got a ball. It’s been a long road back for him, but there’s been a lot of positive, more out here than in the games, but I think that’s just a matter of time. We need everybody down the stretch.”

With the Steelers already likely to be without tight end Ladarius Green, who suffered a concussion against the Bengals and remains in the league-mandated protocol, they could use all of their receiving threats against a Baltimore squad likely to be missing top corner Jimmy Smith. Smith suffered an ankle injury Dec. 12 in a loss at New England and missed the Patriots’ win last week against Philadelphia.

“You know, we’re used to teams having at least one, sometimes two and maybe a third guy, keeping an eye on (Antonio Brown),” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has thrown 17 touchdown passes in his five home starts this season.

“So we need other guys to step up and be big this week, for sure.”

That list is getting shorter.

Veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey has practiced on a limited basis this week as he tries to come back from a sprained foot, but could be another week away.

Slot receiver Eli Rogers is coming off a 5-catch, 75-yard game with a touchdown against Cincinnati and had his best game of the season earlier this year in a Nov. 10 21-14 Ravens’ win in Baltmore when he caught six passes for 103 yards. But all of Rogers’ receptions against the Ravens came in the fourth quarter after the Steelers fell behind 21-0 and Pittsburgh can’t wait to get its offense started so late this time around.

Roethlisberger was playing in his first game after sitting out the previous week following a meniscus surgery and now admits he might have rushed himself back. The Steelers also lost Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey early in that game to a dislocated thumb. He eventually returned for a handful of plays before leaving again for good.

“I feel like we are a better team across the board, and we have to be, than the last time we played them,” said Haley. “We were not at our best or anywhere close to it in the last game versus Baltimore. Against a defense like theirs, you need to be on your game. We lost Maurkice Pouncey on the second snap of the game. He came back in, and then we lost him again. A lot of different factors, but all of those aside, we have to come out and ready to play.”

If Coates now does not play, the Steelers will have to rely on Brown, Rogers and Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers at receiver, with Jesse James, David Johnson and Xavier Grimble at tight end.

Hamilton and Ayers both opened the season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and have 13 combined career receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown between – all by Hamilton this season – while James, Johnson and Grimble have combined to average 9.0 yards per catch. Green averages just under 17 yards per reception.

“We’ve got other guys that have been here all year doing this stuff,” said Roethlisberger. “So we’ll have to count on them.”

In addition to Green, also missing practice Thursday were defensive end Stephon Tuitt (knee), safety Shamarko Thomnas (concussion) and corner Justin Gilbert (illness). … Limited in addition to Coates and Heyward-Bey were defensive end Ricardo Mathews (ankle) and outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo (ankle). … Roethlisberger is 25-7 in home games against AFC North opponents in his career. Included in that is a 7-2 record at Heinz Field against Baltimore.