PITTSBURGH - Plaxico Burress couldn't have been more visible during Sunday night's Jaguars-Steelers game: screaming and hollering, cheerleading and gesturing, talking to any player from either team who would listen.

The Steelers appreciated Burress' colorful sideline motivational tactics, but he couldn't do what they most needed him from him - to catch passes - because of a bothersome hamstring injury.

The wide receiver didn't practice Wednesday, but remains hopeful he can play Sunday when the Steelers (11-1) face the New York Jets (9-3) in an important AFC game in Pittsburgh.

Burress wants to be out there because he's getting tired of standing around and not playing during an important stretch of the season. Coach Bill Cowher wants him out there, too, if only because it will make the Steelers sideline a whole lot quieter.

"We are real close to it, to be able to put him out there on the field," Cowher said.

Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may be as eager to get Burress back as Burress himself is to resume playing. The Steelers have kept winning with Burress missing for all but 18 minutes of their last three games, but being without their top deep receiving threat clearly seems to be limiting their offense.

Antwaan Randle El replaced Burress to make a team-high five catches for 71 yards during Sunday's 17-16 victory in Jacksonville, and the 5-foot-10 receiver has nine catches for 125 yards during Burress' absence. But while the 6-5 Burress made at least one catch of 40 yards or more in four of six games before getting hurt, the Steelers don't have a single reception of that length in their last four games.

They're also not scoring nearly as much without Burress, whose presence forces defenses to protect against the deep ball and prevents them from devoting as much double coverage to fellow receiver Hines Ward.

The Steelers averaged 28.5 points in the six games before Burress was hurt, but have averaged only 17.3 points since he's been out - never scoring more than 19 points.

Do the Steelers miss him?

"A little bit, but the key is we're still winning," Burress said Wednesday. "If I'm out and we're still winning, that's wonderful for us. I think it makes our receivers better and when I get back in there, there will be more added out there."

The Steelers and their No. 2 ranked rushing offense have been even more conservative than before with Burress out, with Roethlisberger passing for only 138 yards against Cincinnati and 131 against Washington before throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns in Jacksonville.

With Roethlisberger growing increasingly confident in his ability to throw the ball without committing a lot of turnovers - he hasn't had an interception in three games - Burress hopes the Steelers open it up more once he returns.

"Ben wants to throw it more, he's said it on a couple of occasions, but we're riding with what got us here, the running game - and I guess until it falters, we'll be out there (running)," Burress said. "But around here, nobody's complaining. The running game is going to help us out that much more with our play action. That's part of our game ... run (the ball) around play action, nickel and dime it and score touchdowns."

Burress warmed up Sunday night, but decided not to try to play when he didn't feel comfortable.

"I knew that once I got into a game, to where the ball's in the air and I want to open up and go get it, I knew I wasn't at that stage to turn it on," he said. "If I feel I can't go out there and play hard and not worry about it, I won't go out there and put myself and my team in a position where I can't play well."