Steelers coach Mike Tomlin indicated Tuesday the thumb injury to All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey is not serious, saying he could have a chance to practice later in the week and possibly play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Pouncey sustained a dislocated thumb last Sunday in Baltimore and played only 19 snaps, taking himself out of the game on two separate occasions. He saw a hand specialist Monday and had surgery on his thumb.
"He'll have the opportunity to practice Thursday or Friday, specifically Friday," Tomlin said at his weekly televised news conference.
Pouncey was replaced by guard/center B.J. Finney, an undrafted free agent in 2015. Finney appeared for 50 plays against the Ravens and had several problems with poor shotgun snaps.
"He's going to have the ability to snap," Tomlin said of Pouncey. "We'll see how functional he is Thursday or Friday."
Tomlin said wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey sustained a sprained foot on a deep incomplete pass in the second quarter, but he did not specify the extent of the injury or how long he might be out.
Meantime, Tomlin said outside linebacker Bud Dupree, their No. 1 pick in 2015, is being designated for return from injured reserve and will begin practicing Wednesday. Dupree spent the first eight games on IR with a sports hernia injury.
"We expect him to be a component and contributor to our defense this season," Tomlin said.
The Steelers have lost three in a row after Sunday's 21-14 loss in Baltimore and have dropped into a tie for first place in the AFC North Division with the Ravens, a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1).
"There's anger how we played because we're capable of more than that," Tomlin said. "That said, I still think we had opportunities to win the game."
Tomlin said the 95-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Ravens receiver Mike Wallace was particularly disturbing because the Steelers had the Ravens backed against their own goal after a downed punt by Shamarko Thomas at the Baltimore 4.
"Not only were they able to produce points, it stole the potential short field we could have had, which we sorely needed because of our inability to move the ball on offense," Tomlin said.
