Conner (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports. "James Conner, with his ankle injury, had a really impressive week last week," Tomlin noted after the session. "We'll see what this week holds, and his availability [for Sunday's game against the Patriots] will be based on his health and then his preparedness. We'll see about his availability throughout the course of the week and let his availability and then the quality of that be our guide."
Based on Tomlin's comments, it would seem that Conner, who sat out the Week 14 loss to the Raiders, has a shot to play in the team's crucial matchup with New England. Conner's continued absence from practice isn't the most encouraging sign, but he'll be viewed as day-to-day leading up to the weekend unless the Steelers suggest otherwise. If Conner ends up being limited at all of held out of action in Week 15, the Steelers would once again turn to the combination of Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley in the backfield.