Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a full participant in Thursday's practice as the team prepares for a Week 15 matchup against the New England Patriots.

Roethlisberger missed practice on Wednesday after suffering a rib injury in last weekend's 24-21 loss to the Oakland Raiders, which saw him sidelined for a majority of the second half.

But he's now back on the practice field ahead of a crucial AFC tilt, and that's a positive for the Steelers considering that starting running back James Conner remains out of action, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.

Roethlisberger is listed as a full participant for the Steelers as they continued preparations for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Running back James Conner did not join Roethlisberger in returning to action. Head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that it was possible Conner would play after missing last week with an ankle injury, but it seems less likely now that he’s missed the first two practices of the week.

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Conner's absence isn't surprising at all, but getting Roethlisberger back healthy is at least a step in the right direction for this Pittsburgh offense. The loss to the Raiders was not ideal at all, and now the Steelers find themselves in a battle with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North crown.

Baltimore's schedule appears to be a bit less demanding down the stretch, so a win of the Patriots is certainly needed if Mike Tomlin's team wants to move closer to locking up a playoff spot.