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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media Tuesday, stating clearly injured safety Troy Polamalu and outside linebacker James Harrison will be taken day-to-day this week in regards to ailments that kept them out last week - and kept Harrison out Week 1 as well.
"We'll take the same approach we did a week ago as far as their availability," Tomlin said. "We'll take it day-to-day and see where that leads us."
With a bye week looming in Week 4, having the team prepared enough to play without either of them - and giving them two weeks to rest before preparing for Week 5 - would be beneficial for the long haul. But with the Steelers standing at 1-1, and a tough road game in Oakland before the bye, a quality team in Philadelphia coming to Heinz Field in Week 5 and a short week road game in Tennessee in Week 6, may need any and all help they can get.
Tomlin noted OLB Chris Carter as Harrison's replacement, and Carter got his second consecutive start in Week 2. He and OLB Jason Worilds split snaps, though, and it appears as if they will continue to do so as long as Harrison is out. Ryan Mundy started for Polamalu, and would do so again in Week 3.
He noted running back Jonathan Dwyer (turf toe), right tackle Marcus Gilbert (right groin strain) and Heath Miller (rib cartilage separation) may be limited in the early part of this week's practice schedule.
LB Stevenson Sylvester, Tomlin noted, will be given work this week with the idea in mind he could play Sunday. Sylvester has missed Weeks 1 and 2 with a knee injury he suffered in the preseason. He could establish some depth behind Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons at both inside linebacker positions.
RB Rashard Mendenhall will also get a good workload this week. The Steelers will, as Tomlin put it, "thud him up this week," and see if he responds positively to that."