Williams: Liberty’s Toussaint thrust into spotlight

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin likes the approach his team’s latest feature back takes.

“He’s a talented, hard-working guy, he brings a no-nonsense, blue-collar approach that I’m sure Steeler Nation would appreciate,” said Tomlin of Liberty High School graduate Fitzgerald Toussaint, who most likely will be the starting running back on Saturday when Pittsburgh plays Cincinnati in the NFL Playoffs.

“He’s extremely low-maintenance,” Tomlin said.

And shy, apparently. On Toussaint’s first day of practice as the starting running back, more than a dozen media members waited for him to appear in the Steelers’ locker room to hear his thoughts on the biggest week of his short pro career.

Toussaint didn’t show — for at least another day, the former Michigan running back remains a Man of Mystery.

The Steelers are hoping Toussaint can help them avoid a repeat of last season’s short postseason, a 30-17 loss at Heinz Field to the Baltimore Ravens. The team was without Le’Veon Bell, who suffered a leg injury in the 2014 regular-season finale.

Desperate for an experienced back, the Steelers signed Ben Tate off the street.

That plan didn’t work. The Ravens limited the Steelers to 68 yards rushing on 19 carries. Roethlisberger passed for 348 yards but was intercepted twice.

Fast forward to last Sunday’s Week 17 game in Cleveland when D’Angelo Williams injured his foot. Williams became the starter after Bell was lost for the season on Nov. 1 with another leg injury.

Williams is questionable for Saturday’s game. He did make a brief appearance in the locker room Wednesday after sitting out practice. Asked for an interview, Williams declined, saying, “I’ve got to go lift.” Wearing loose hightops, he walked — rather normally — to the weight room.

Tomlin said it’s “prudent” for the team to build a game plan around Toussaint and Jordan Todman, who has been inactive since Toussaint was activated on Dec. 6 for the 45-10 win over the Colts.

Tomlin called them “guys that have been here, guys that are healthy, guys that are willing and capable to be positive contributors to our effort.”

Todman said both embrace the challenge.

“We’re ready and we’re going to push each other,” the fifth-year back said.

If Toussaint gets the start, it will complete quite a journey. He wasn’t drafted in 2014 after he suffered two broken bones in his left leg in a November 2013 game against Iowa.

Toussaint went to the Ravens’ training camp in July 2014, earning a spot. He played in four regular-season games and two playoff games. Then on Sept. 5, he was cut.

Two days later, the Steelers signed him for their practice squad.

Bell’s second major injury in 10 months opened the door for The Vindicator’s 2008 high school football Offensive Player of the Year. After the Steelers’ open weekend of Nov. 22, Toussaint was activated. He did not dress for the 39-30 loss to the Seahawks on Nov. 29, but he’s played each game since.

In his limited role, he’s had 18 carries for 42 yards. The Steelers are going to need more production than that if they are to win their first playoff game since the AFC Championship Game five years ago (24-19 over the New York Jets).

“For us, it’s one playoff game, but we want it to be one of four,” defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said. “We’re focused [but] we’re playing a really good team. We’re just trying to get better.”

Tomlin downplayed concern that Roethlisberger might have less time to find receivers with inexperience backs being part of the protection scheme, citing Sunday’s 28-12 win over the Browns in Cleveland.

“Toussaint is very, very capable in the passing game,” Tomlin said. “I think his play on Sunday displayed that. We threw the ball quite a bit, Ben wasn’t sacked in the game. His efforts had a lot to do with that.”

The Bengals have their own injury issues. Quarterback Andy Dalton broke his right thumb in the Dec. 13 loss to the Steelers and is not expected to be able to play even though his cast came off on Monday. A.J. McCarron will be making his fourth start.

“They’ve been very careful [but] they still throw the ball deep,” safety Mike Mitchell said. “He threw a touchdown pass against us, I think, for 70 yards.

“We’re going to hang our hat on things we’ve done well,” Mitchell said. “Especially this being the third time we’ve played them, there’s not going to be any surprises.”

The Steelers are trying to guard against overconfidence but it’s not easy when they have a 14-3 record at Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in 25 years and Roethlisberger has 15 playoff starts and two Super Bowl rings.

That said, the numbers Toussaint and Rodman contribute might be more meaningful.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter at The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Williams_Vindy.