50-YARD LINE

Happy Hump Day! We're at the mid-week point so what better time for a mid-week report? Mendy and Stevenson Sylvester both participated in practice today. Mendy has practiced the past 2 weeks but hasn't gotten any game time. The difference today was that he was allowed contact. We'll see if that gets him in the game this week and helps the running game. Those that did not practice were Harrison, Polamalu, Dwyer, Wallace and Sanders. Wallace has a groin and Sanders a knee. We'll see what that means come Sunday. We'll need all the healthy bodies we can get to carve out another win before the bye. The last 2 times the Steelers played the Raiders, at the Black Hole in '06 and at the Big Ketchup Bottle in '09, the Steelers lost and did not make the playoffs. Beware the Black Hole! This could be a trap game as the Steelers look to rest and get healed up going into the bye. Be especially wary of the fact that QB Carson Palmer is third in the NFL with 670 passing yards. This is a guy who used to regularly face the Steelers twice a year when he was in Cincy. Hopefully, Tomlin and his mad scientists are busy brewing up a winning recipe even as I write this. Go Steelers!!!!!!