Steelers downgrade RB James Conner to ‘doubtful’ vs. Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner has been downgraded from 'questionable' to 'doubtful' for this Sunday's meeting with the Patriots, the team announced via Twitter on Saturday.

It's believed that Conner is dealing with a high ankle sprain, but hope for the Steelers seemingly came when he was seen walking through the Pittsburgh locker room without much of a limp or brace on his ankle.

Conner, the replacement for Le'Veon Bell thanks to an unresolved holdout, has been more than enough this year, entering Week 15 with the sixth-most rushing yards (909) and second-most touchdowns (12) in all of football.

Without Conner (and obviously without Bell), the Steelers will rely on Stevan Ridley and Jaylen Samuels to lead the way in their run game. Samuels rushed for 28 yards on 11 carries last week, and hauled in all seven targets thrown his way for 64 yards. Ridley, of course, is looking for 'revenge' against his former team this weekend.

The Patriots, on the other hand, will come into Pittsburgh with a clean bill of health, without a single player on their Friday injury report.