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COACH PEDERSON**: Good morning. I just want to update you on injuries again. So these guys will actually be out of the football game: [TE] Zach Ertz again, [CB] Leodis McKelvin and [G] Isaac Seumalo. Those three will be out for this game. [LB] Mychal Kendricks will practice today and he's good to go.
Q. How much did the fact that the bye week is coming up, especially for a guy like McKelvin or Ertz, factor into the decision?
COACH PEDERSON: A little bit, it does. The fact that we can get through, obviously, one more ball game and get a lot of guys rested and healthy; especially those two. Our bye week kind of hits us at a good time for those two especially.
Q. You have this uncertain situation coming up with T Lane Johnson. How is he playing?
COACH PEDERSON: He's been playing really well. He's a solid right tackle. It's been good to have that five [offensive linemen] together the whole time. And, yeah, his performances the last few games have been good. It's helped us win both of those games.
Q. We've asked you a lot about Mychal Kendricks' nose injury, but how about the quad? Is that an issue with him at all?
COACH PEDERSON: No. It was bothering him earlier in the week. Obviously, on a shorter a week, you want to give him as much rest as possible. But he was great today coming in the building, and just get him out there today --- obviously today being a Friday. But he's good.
Q. Can you talk about TE Trey Burton? Just how he came in last week and filled in, the kind of job he did?
COACH PEDERSON: Trey, obviously, exceptional athlete [and] a part of our three tight end package that we started the season with --- or coming out of training came with, actually. He's a smart kid, love to move him around offensively, put him in some match-up situations. You have seen him out single receiver side. [He] caught a big third down pass last week. [He] just does a nice job for us. He's somebody that hopefully -- especially after the break, [if] we get all three tight ends back, we can be full steam with those three guys. He's done a good job here in the first part of the season.
Q. When QB Carson Wentz spoke about the hits he's taking, he didn't sound concerned about the ones in the pocket. He said he needs to be in there and throwing the ball. It's more when he moves. Is that the way you look at it, too?
COACH PEDERSON: Listen, yeah quarterbacks are going to hit in the pocket. That's just without saying. It's the ones where he's scrambling, the ones that we kind of coach him up on the sideline. Those are the ones where he has to really protect himself with the slides or either the throwaways or get out of bounds.
Q. In the first two games, who has surprised you the most on the offense?
COACH PEDERSON: Well, Carson [Wentz], obviously. For being a rookie quarterback in the National Football League with everything that comes with that; being able to handle the media during the week [and] all the peripheral stuff that he's been able to handle and kind of put behind him and then focus on football. He's done a good job there, and then playing at a high level. Then I look at what our tight ends have done. I look at [TE] Brent Celek. He's playing special teams, he's taking the bulk of the offensive reps for an older guy that is just so reliable. He's done a nice job. Another one that's sort of come along too that we'd like to give a few more touches each week is DGB [WR Dorial Green-Beckham]. He's a big, tall, physical kid that can run exceptionally well. We'd love to be able to, as we go, get him the ball a little bit more.
Q. How is WR Jordan Matthews playing on the outside compared to the slot?
COACH PEDERSON: He's playing well, playing good. Obviously, the bulk of his stuff has come from inside where I think is his strength. But at times we get an opportunity to put him out there and let him showcase his talent. Again, his work is going to come from the slot and being in the middle of --- let's say a trips formation.
Q. How's Dorial Green-Beckham coming along in terms of grasping the playbook and the offense?
COACH PEDERSON: He's coming along really well. We're giving him a little bit more each week. He's understanding things a little bit better and processing the information better. Again, this is something as we go forward we'd love to obviously get him a little more involved from a standpoint of getting more targets thrown in his direction.
Q. WR Bryce Treggs has been back practicing for a couple weeks now. Is there any plan to get him active on game day?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, it's tough to keep the five receivers up, just based on what you need; defense, special teams and all that. He's shown flashes of his speed in practice. [He's] doing a nice job there. Again, with him, much like DGB, it's how well he can process and how much he knows of the system in order for him to one, be active, and two, get a chance to play.
Q. With CB Leodis McKelvin out, is the plan the same to have CB Ron Brooks start on the outside?
COACH PEDERSON: Yeah, yeah, [it will] be the exact same plan, yeah.
Q. Are you thinking when you come back from the bye week that Zach Ertz will be ready to go?
COACH PEDERSON: I am. I am. I am prepared for him and Leo [Leodis McKelvin] both to be ready to go after the break. Hopefully a lot of other guys, too, will take the time to get number one, rested coming off a long preseason, and then the first three games of the regular season like we have. Hope to be full strength on that Monday.
Q. Will you be practicing on that Monday? Has that already been decided?
COACH PEDERSON: I'll treat it just like I did the first week of the regular season with them and bring them back and get a little workout in on that Monday of the Detroit week.
Q. With Ertz, you said the rib was displaced like seven millimeters. Has it been moving back?
COACH PEDERSON: It's tightening itself up. He's been able to get in the weight room and lift and do some strength and conditioning stuff with the guys. He's been out on the field running. So yeah, it's really progressing well, that injury.
Q. If it ever gets to the point that you need a third quarterback in the game, who is the emergency guy for that?
COACH PEDERSON: We went into the first regular season game with [WR] Josh Huff as a third. And then last week it was [TE] Trey Burton as the third. That's kind of the plan as we go forward.
Q. When you're working opposite of a prolific offense like the Steelers are, how does that influence what you do?
COACH PEDERSON: The thing is around the National Football League, you never want a team to dictate to you, one way or the other, what is going to happen. We just have to do our jobs. We have to put our guys in the best position possible. We've got to do a better job in the third-down area offensively. I think we're eight-for-30, something like that – something like 26 percent. We've got to be a little better on third down. We just have to focus on our job. We understand the power and the weapons they have on offense, but we can't focus on that. Again, we just focus on what we do and get our guys ready to play.
Q. You said you expect Ertz and McKelvin to be back after the bye. Do you include Isaac Seumalo in that too? And if he is ready, does he have a chance to start at that left guard spot?
COACH PEDERSON: We expect Isaac back, as well. With him missing these last couple of weeks, going forward it would probably be Wiz [C/G Stefen Wisniewski] moving to that spot if something happens and we've got to go back to our training camp structure that we did week two and three in training camp. But yeah, I expect Isaac back.
