"He's never lost sight of who he knows we can be, the potential of the talent and the experience and the amount of veterans we have on this team and what we can accomplish with them," McDonald said. "It was absolutely not meant to be inspiring but more or less just realize, realize who we are and what we're capable of doing and do it.

"No excuses, no pity parties, no time for any of that, we're gown men. We have nothing ahead of us that we can't do."

How the Steelers do it against New England remains to be revealed.

Cornerback Artie Burns, who hasn't started since Oct. 14 at Cincinnati, confirmed he worked with the first-team defense Wednesday and today.

"Just a little bit," Burns said. "I'm just going with the flow of the rotation they have going right now, testing out the gameplan, seeing what we want to do.

"If my number's called, definitely I want to be out there. If it comes back around to me, definitely I have to take advantage of the opportunity."

Defensive back Cam Sutton said he's worked the last two days with the first-team defense at nickel cornerback.

"Just taking the reps that they give me," Sutton said.

The depth chart lists Coty Sensabaugh as the first-team right cornerback and Mike Hilton as the nickel.

Burns at cornerback opposite Joe Haden and Sutton as the nickel is an option for New England.

"If that's what it is, then we'll be ready to go," Sutton said. "If not, we'll still be ready to go."

Defensive coordinator Keith Butler didn't want to comment on "anybody starting or not starting."

But Butler addressed how a player in Burns' situation might respond.

"If it was me, in my experience, I would be on edge trying to play my best football game," Butler said. "I think anybody that's been in that situation and has gotten a chance to come back and play, you're always going to try to be in your very best mind frame and try to put your best effort, and I think he'll do that.