McFarland added to injury report with Illness

Darius Phillips (Groin) Questionable

Phillips did not practice on Thursday. He has been a very up and down player for the Bengals and has started for this team. The Bengals are thin at cornerback with MacKensie Alexander and Darius Phillips dealing with injuries.

Jonah Williams (Stinger) Questionable

Williams was limited in practice on Thursday. He was a former first-round pick, but I don’t think he has had an NFL career compared to his draft stock. I think the problem with the Jonah Williams pick was that they didn’t make him a guard. I think he would be a much better guard than tackle.

John Ross (Foot) Questionable

John Ross’s career has been a disappointment, to say the least. He ran a 4.2 40 yard dash at the combine which broke records. Now he isn’t even a starter on the Bengals. He was limited on Thursday and so I would say it is a coinflip whether he plays on Sunday.

LeShaun Sims (Concussion) Limited

Sims was limited on Thursday with a concussion. Sims isn’t a starter for the Bengals. The Bengals will need all the depth they can get at receiver. At the same time, we don’t want to see a player come back too early from a concussion.

Conclusion

The Steelers have a few injuries but the concern for me is the coronavirus outbreak. I hope the Steelers are cautious and make sure the virus in control within the team so that it doesn’t get out of hand. From a physical injury standpoint, I am not concerned with the Steelers situation. Every team is dealing with injuries this time of year.

The Bengals have a lot of injuries as well but I will caution Steeler fans into knowing that the Bengals don’t have a lot of injuries to key players. The Steelers, on the other hand, have a question mark in Ben Roethlisberger. My hope with Roethlisberger is that he stays quarantined for the week and gets healthy enough to dress for the game on Sunday.