The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed running back Jonathan Ward after releasing him from the 53-man roster two days ago. Ward will join Aaron Shampklin as the two running backs on the practice squad.

Ward was signed by the Steelers after a rookie minicamp tryout. Known more for his speed and veteran presence, he had an impressive training camp despite suffering a hamstring injury, and that allowed him to make the practice squad.

Ward has played in four games this season. In those games, he was mostly used as a special teamer rather than playing running back, but he is the team’s top backup after the top three. So, if those players were to suffer an injury, Ward would be signed to the active roster once again for depth, both at running back and on the special teams units.

To create room for Ward on the 17-man practice squad, the Steelers cut defensive tackle Domenique Davis.

Steelers get a heat wave in Pittsburgh for Week 14 revenge game vs. Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to bounce back with an impressive offensive showing against the Bengals after a sloppy display on Thursday Night Football against the Browns. Dropping a must-have game to an unserious opponent in Cleveland in Week 14 was a setback for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Not only were the Steelers forced to travel on a short week when they faced the Browns for the first time, but the blizzard-like conditions threw another unforeseen variable into the equation, which nullified Pittsburgh’s advantage. Call it a trap game or a lack of preparation and execution. Either way, they couldn’t hang on to secure the win in Week 12 and their winless streak in Cleveland continues for the sixth straight year.

Now it’s time for Pittsburgh to seek revenge on their bottom-dwelling AFC North rival. This time, they can’t use the weather as an excuse. As bad as the field conditions were in Cleveland in Week 12, they will be just the opposite for the Steelers’ Week 14 redemption game.

Pittsburgh will get a burst of heat for Steelers vs. Browns game

In contrast to the polar conditions in Cleveland for the Steelers vs. Browns game a few weeks ago, we can expect a heat wave to come through on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. According to AccuWeather.com, it will be 50 degrees in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon with 70 percent cloud cover and nine miles per hour west south-west winds.

Most importantly, there is a zero percent chance of precipitation — meaning the field conditions will be unimpacted by the weather. This December game could feel like a mid-October contest for those in attendance… and there’s no reason to pack an umbrella.

When the snow picked up in Cleveland in Week 12, T.J. Watt and company were not able to find their footing in the second half, which led to a very quiet night from the defense. We’re hoping things will be much different this time around.

The Steelers are the more talented team, so the fewer variables they have to worry about, the better. The weather conditions will not be one of them. Instead of thinking about how to adjust the game plan because of rain or snow, they can focus on the task at hand — handing the Browns a loss while Pittsburgh advances to 10-3 on the season.

With a Cleveland loss in Week 14, the Browns will officially be eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Steelers would still be in the running for the top seed in the AFC in the playoffs this year. Pittsburgh can’t afford to get swept by the Browns this year. Thankfully, an encouraging weather forecast will be on their side.