Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, strong safety Troy Polamalu and left offensive tackle Marvel Smith could all return to the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting lineup for their showdown with the unbeaten New England Patriots on Sunday. All three have missed the last two games since being hurt in the Steelers' loss to the New York Jets. Holmes has been recovering from a high ankle sprain, while Polamalu had a sprained knee and Smith has been dealing with a disc problem in his back.. The return of Polamalu could give the Steelers' top-rated defense an added boost against the Patriots' potent offense. All three players practiced on Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin previously said the players' availability for Sunday would be determined by how they performed in practice.