Practice can only go so far. The Steelers dont take opponents to the ground in practice, preferring instead to thud up, meaning

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has resumed throwing with his sore shoulder.Coach Mike Zimmer has kept up his silence about Bridgewaters status.Bridgewater threw a few dozen short and medium-length passes in practice Tuesday, for the first time in front of reporters in a week. He didnt play in the preseason game at Seattle, and Zimmer has refused to discuss the injury. ESPN.com previously reported the shoulder problem, which Zimmer didnt confirm or deny.I told you guys when I first got here I would try to be as transparent and honest as I can. I will be, but there are certain things that Im not going to tell you, and if he had an issue with his shoulder then Im going to make sure that I err on the side of caution, Zimmer said. Because if I played him and he got hurt, you guys would be killing me in the press. So Im always going to protect the players. Im going to do what I think is best for the organization, and youre going to have to respect that.The curt, lecturing tone was aimed at the media members gathered for his post-practice news conference, but the irritant for Zimmer could well be rooted in concern about the health and depth of his quarterbacks.Bridgewater was in full pads during weekend practices, but he didnt attempt any passes. Backup Shaun Hill was also held out of those workouts, before returning to action Tuesday. Taylor Heinicke, the third-stringer last year, has been on the non-football injury list because of a severed tendon in his left foot. He was spotted Tuesday without a walking boot for the first time since training camp began.Undrafted rookie Joel Staves production as a passer at Wisconsin was unremarkable, but hed been taking turns with the first team in recent days. Brad Sorenson was signed Saturday to give the Vikings another arm, but he didnt even have his name sewn onto the back of his red jersey yet.This was originally slated as an off day for the players, but Zimmer switched the schedule to give them a break on Monday instead.I felt like the team was tired and they needed some time to get away, he said.The Vikings host San Diego on Sunday, the first game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Zimmer dismissed the importance of getting Bridgewater some snaps to stay sharp.Hes played an awful lot of games, Zimmer said. Its not like hes a first-year rookie.The offense would only benefit from Bridgewaters presence, though, and vice versa.We look to him as our leader, but we know that in this league with injury, people are not going to be out there sometimes, wide receiver Charles Johnson said. So we have guys on our offensive side and defensive side who have to step up and maintain that leadership role.Albeit a position of far less significance, tight ends are in ample supply for the Vikings.Rhett Ellison returned to action Tuesday for the first time since tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee in the last game of the 2015 regular season. He was a little ahead of schedule on his rehabilitation. With Kyle Rudolph, Mycole Pruitt and rookie David Morgan, theres a probability the Vikings will keep four tight ends on the 53-man roster once its established Sept. 3.Rhetts worked extremely hard, Zimmer said. Rhett is a great kid, team guy through and through. Its nice to get him back on the field.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLBenoit Costil France Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Paul Pogba Jersey . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/samuel-umtiti-france-jersey/ . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Blaise Matuidi Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Mamadou Sakho France Jersey . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times.PITTSBURGH -- Cam Heyward knows better than to get ahead of himself. Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers run defense was better last week against Baltimore, when the Ravens needed 29 carries to manage 50 yards.Then again, considering how ineffective it was in losses to Miami and New England -- losses Heyward missed due to a hamstring injury -- its a backhanded compliment at best. And Pittsburghs defensive captain knows it.Its a start, Heyward said Thursday. We know weve got a bigger challenge.Maybe the biggest in the NFL.The guy in the backfield on Sunday wont be any nameless, faceless, starless Ravens but Dallas rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who leads the league in rushing at the halfway point and has established veterans such as Heyward grasping for superlatives.Hes had a lot of success, Heyward said. He can cut when he needs to. He can jump when he needs to. If a play doesnt work out his way, hes not afraid to jump out and challenge your corners.And just about anything else that gets in his way. The 21-year-old is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and hardly seems ready to hit the wall halfway through the 16-game slog that is the regular season. Some of his production is due to playing behind one of the NFLs best offensive lines. Not all of it, though. Theres more than a hint of tenacity to go with Elliotts natural speed and power.His feet dont go dead, Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said.Meaning they keep churning even as Elliott finds himself enveloped by tacklers. On an 8-yard touchdown sprint last week against Cleveland, he stepped out of a tackle at the 10 and darted to the end zone. Later on, he caught a pass in the flat and was stood up almost immediately by Browns defensive back Tramon Williams, only to bounce off the slip through the arms of Brian Boddy-Calhoun to turn a short loss into a 5-yard gain in a 35-10 romp that pushed the Cowboys to an NFC-best 7-1.Pittsburgh linebacker Ryan Shazier, a former teammate of Elliotts at Ohio State, likened Elliott to NBA star Dwyane Wade.Hes like a slasher runner, Shazier saiPractice can only go so far. The Steelers dont take opponents to the ground in practice, preferring instead to thud up, meaning getting a player wrapped before thd. When he needs to hit the hole, he hits the hole. When he needs to make three (yards), he makes three.Though typically he springs for considerably more than that. Elliott already has seven runs of 20 yards or more, tops in the league. And the player who routinely turns to the sideline and mimics a kid franttically scarfing down a bowl of Lucky Charms (Elliotts sign language for keep feeding me) hardly seems winded despite being on pace for more than 350 carries.ddddddddddddIts kind of weird just to feel that were only halfway through, coming from college where the season starts earlier and its shorter, so it feels a little bit different, Elliott said. But its important to maintain that routine so your body doesnt break down so you can stay fresh and finish out the season strong.Thats something the Steelers (4-4) are hoping to do, too. The defensive line looked lost at times with Heyward out, letting Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount gash them repeatedly in double-digit losses. Things were far more stable when Heyward returned against the Ravens: Baltimores longest run of the day came on a 14-yard scramble by quarterback Joe Flacco.In the games Heyward played, the opponents averaged 3.5 yards per carry. In the games Heyward missed, that average jumped to 5.6. Heyward, as is typical, downplayed his importance. Hes just one cog in a machine thats searching for consistency, particularly when it comes to tackling.Backup running backs Daryl Richardson and Karlos Williams have taken turns this week trying to do their best Elliott impersonations on the scout team, hoping to give the defensive starters a taste of what theyll see Sunday. Practice can only go so far. The Steelers dont take opponents to the ground in practice, preferring instead to thud up, meaning getting a player wrapped before the whistle blows. That wont be an option Sunday.It cant just be arm tackles, Heyward said. Its got to be body tackles where youre putting your weight on him, and if its not one guy its two guys. Youve got to rally to the ball.Game notesSteelers center Maurkice Pouncey missed practice against Thursday, but said he will 100 percent play against the Cowboys. Pouncey underwent a surgical procedure on Monday to fix a dislocated thumb. ... QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee) and WR Sammie Coates (finger) were full participants Thursday. ... WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) was limited.---AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '