After throwing 13 interceptions last year as a rookie, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton already has nine through the first six games this year, three of which have been returned for touchdowns.

Going back to the playoff game in Houston last year, Dalton has thrown four pick-sixes in his last seven games.

“That’s the worst part of an interception, when it gets returned for a touchdown,” Dalton said. “So I’ve got to eliminate it. It comes down to making better decisions, guys getting their blocks up front, running good routes on the back end. It all starts with me, but it’s an effort by everyone on the offense.”

As disconcerting as the interceptions are, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said he doesn’t find them alarming. Yet.

“Quarterbacks throw picks,” he said. “It happens to great ones. If he’s going to play here for 10 more years or however many more years, he’s going to throw a few more. But the big thing is he’s got to bounce back and do everything in his power not to make it habit.”

One of Dalton’s strengths as a quarterback also has been a part of the problem. His release, measured to be among the quickest in the league, coupled with his awareness and anticipation sometimes result in a pass being thrown just before the route is compromised.

“He’s such a rhythmic quarterback, a timing quarterback, that sometimes it gets him in trouble,” Gruden said. “But a lot of times it makes him an NFL quarterback because he anticipates throws so well. So you have to take the good with the bad.

“A lot of these defenses can cover initial combinations, but sometimes the extra count lets people get open. He needs to give routes a little more time sometimes.”

Injury update: Running back Brian Leonard (ribs) did not practice Wednesday and remains day-to-day, head coach Marvin Lewis said.

If Leonard is unable to go Sunday night against the Steelers, that would leave BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman and fullback Chris Pressley as healthy ball carriers on the active roster.

“We’re fine,” Gruden said. “Brian’s a little dinged right now. Hopefully he’ll be all right to play Sunday. If for whatever reason he isn’t, we have Boom Herron on the practice squad. We have a lot of empty formations that we could use. We’ll have it covered.”

Linebacker Dontay Moch (non-injury related) also did not practice Wednesday, while wide receiver Andrew Hawkins (back), defensive tackle Devon Still (shoulder) and guard Kevin Zeitler (elbow) were limited.

Lewis also said he doesn’t “anticipate making a move with Pat Sims off of the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list” this week. The defensive tackle was a non-participant throughout training camp and the preseason with ankle injuries.

Even though Sims is eligible to come off the PUP, the team has three weeks before it has to decide whether to activate him or place him on injured reserve.

Coaching camaraderie: At his Wednesday press conference, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis offered congratulations to Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker on the two-year contract extension he signed Monday.

“I’m very happy for Dusty,” Lewis said. “I meant to send him a text the other day when I heard it coming to work early in the morning. As I’ve said so many times about Dusty, he is such a coach’s coach. I know sometimes in baseball they don’t get labeled as coaches; it’s more as managers. But he’s a coach. He could be a football coach, I’m sure, if he wanted to. Just the way he is, he’s so hard on fundamentals and the things like that. And I think it’s a great credit to him and what he’s done.”