The Pittsburgh Steelers could be without DeAngelo Williams in the wild card round playoff game against the Bengals, as the running back is dealing with an ankle injury. If Williams misses the game, the team likely will use a combination of Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman on offense.
Williams was injured in Week 17 against the Browns and head coach Mike Tomlin said that the running back is "day to day" with an ankle injury, according to NFL.com. Williams has been the starting running back since Le'Veon Bell went down with a season-ending injury and now the Steelers face the prospect of playing the Bengals without Williams. Even if Williams does end up playing, there is a good chance he will not be 100 percent, meaning Toussaint and Todman could get extensive work.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Toussaint likely will be the "featured back" against the Bengals and that the Steelers are preparing as if Williams will not be available in the game. Toussaint came in for Williams in Week 17 and had 24 yards on 12 carries and Tomlin said that the running back did a "solid job" for the Steelers on Sunday. Toussaint has not played much this season, but he could see a heavy workload for the Steelers if Williams is out or limited with the ankle issue.
The Steelers also made some roster moves following the injury, signing running back Abou Toure to the practice squad for some extra depth, according to Pro Football Talk. The team also has Raijon Neal on the practice squad and if Williams is out, there is a good chance one of those backs will be on the active roster for the playoff game against the Bengals. The Steelers also have fullback Will Johnson, but Todman and Toussaint will be the main running backs if Williams can't play.
Williams has been one of the most important players for the Steelers this season, as he played in all 16 games and rushed for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns. When Williams was originally signed, many speculated that he would be used for the first two games with Bell starting the season with a suspension and then be relegated to a backup role. Instead, Williams contributed quite a bit once Bell was healthy and after Bell went down with a season-ending injury, Williams took over as the starter again.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Williams likely would not play for a few weeks if this injury occurred during the regular season, but he could "try and gut through" it for the playoffs. The Steelers will play the Bengals in Cincinnati in the AFC Wild Card round after making the playoffs past the Jets in the conference standings.
