"I'm injured, but it's football," Hightower said. "I'm going to play through it."
Hightower and Blount plan to watch both wild-card games in the conference: Baltimore at Pittsburgh on Saturday night and Cincinnati at Indianapolis on Sunday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Dont'a Hightower has extra time to prepare for his top-seeded team's playoff game.
"Oregon's going to win," Blount declared before pulling his school's jacket from his locker.
"I'm going to watch them the same as I watch everybody else," he said. "I'm going to watch college, too."
Running back LeGarrette Blount, safety Patrick Chung and rookie center Bryan Stork also have a special interest in the college games. Blount and Chung attended Oregon, seeded second,Cheap Nike Shox, while Stork snapped the ball last season to Jameis Winston,Cheap NFL Jerseys Store, who leads third-seeded Florida State against the Ducks in the other semifinal Thursday.
"I've got a lot of guys around me that help make me feel a lot more comfortable. So it's been a lot easier this year," Hightower said. "I was always one that talked, trying to be a nerd about things, and (linebacker coach) Pat Graham's really done a better job than what we did last year as far as just talking about situational things."
"I'm one of the first ones to agree about that," Hightower said. "It's good that we've got a slower pace and make sure that we understand things and let some guys get healed up. But we're definitely taking advantage of it all the way around."
"Me and Nate have talked," he said. "We haven't set it yet. I'm pretty sure that he'll come up with something good."
Hightower and Blount, who played, were on the injury report for that game with shoulder problems.
The Steelers might have needed him now that running back Le'Veon Bell is dealing with a hyperextended right knee that could keep him out of Saturday's game.
This week, the Patriots welcome having more time off than usual.
He became the Patriots' defensive signal-caller when Jerod Mayo suffered a season-ending right knee injury in the sixth game. Mayo also was limited to six games last season by a torn pectoral muscle,Wholesale Jerseys.
A Baltimore win sends the Ravens to Gillette Stadium on Jan. 10. If the Ravens lose, the Patriots will host the winner of the Bengals-Colts contest.
"I'm definitely going to catch that one," Hightower said Tuesday while wearing an Alabama pullover as he stood at his Patriots locker.
Asked if he saw the play on which Bell was injured last Sunday against Cincinnati,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Blount paused, then said, "Man, I'm just focused on the Patriots. Obviously, he's a friend of mine and I was concerned, but I'm just focused on the Patriots."
Blount spent the first 11 games this season with Pittsburgh but was cut on Nov. 18,Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale, less than 24 hours after jogging off LP Field with the clock still running in a 27-24 win over Tennessee.
So much so that he claims he has no special interest in the Steelers wild-card game.
With a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots (12-4) have a lighter work week than usual. They can't concentrate on preparing for their opponent until they find out who it is.
The New England Patriots linebacker plans to watch his college team,NFL Jerseys China Online, Alabama, face Ohio State in a College Football Playoff semifinal Thursday night.
Meanwhile, he'll be rooting for another No. 1 seed.
He might even work out a small wager with safety Nate Ebner, the only Ohio State player with New England.
Hightower was one of six starters inactive for last Sunday's game against Buffalo that had no bearing on New England's playoff position. The Bills won 17-9.
