LaMarr Woodley keft the game against the Cincinnati Bengals with the lingering effects of a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the entire month of November. According to Jason LaCanfora of NFL.com, that injury will likely keep him out of the game against the Browns on Thursday. LaCanfora considers the linebacker, "extremely doubtful."
Woodley sat out of the team's practice on Tuesday, a day after Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the linebacker "might be in play" against the Browns. Tomlin told reporters Woodley "felt a little tweak" in his hamstring but didn't do any major damage in last Sunday's win over Cincinnati. Woodley and the Steelers are targeting the game against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 19 for his return.
When Woodley was on the field he was having an incredibly good season, but this hamstring injury is robbing him of continuing what figured to be a career year. Without Woodley on the edge, the Steelers will have to look elsewhere to generate their trademark pass rush, but against an anemic offensive team like the Browns, it may not matter.