The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a brutal loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday as they were defeated in the contest by a score of 27-13. Pittsburgh struggled in all phases of the game, especially in the second half as the offense was barely on the field and was shut-out by Philadelphia. The losing didn't stop at the final score, as the Steelers suffered some injuries that could hurt them moving forward. Quarterback Justin Fields suffered an abdominal injury, while TJ Watt went down with an ankle injury late in the game.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith celebrates after a big play during the 2024 season.
Watt was expected to have a big game against Philadelphia, as the Eagles have some of the best tackles in the league and the team would likely rely on them to take on Watt with little help. The outside linebacker is used to see a lot of offensive attention on every snap, and that wasn't the case against the Eagles because of the trust they have in their tackles.
Watt was having a great game, but he went down in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media after the game to give an update on his best defender.
"TJ has an ankle." Tomlin said. "I think that can be described as a low-ankle at this juncture, but I'll have more information for you the next time we get together."
This should be considered good news for Steelers fans. It is never good to see a player go down, especially Watt, but this is probably the best case scenario. There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to Watt's ankle, which should allow him to miss minimal time moving forward. Watt was down on the field in what looked like a lot of pain, but it seems like he will end up being alright in the grand scheme of things.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt smiles before Week 12 game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.
The Steelers have a brutal schedule throughout the rest of the season, so having their best defender at full health will be critical. Watt was impacting the game in a big way before going down with an injury as he had recorded two sacks and a forced fumble up until the time he went down. Watt spoke with the media after the game, and he gave a positive update as well.
T.J. Watt said he rolled his ankle and X-rays were negative. Asked if he’ll be able to play next week, he said we’ll have to wait and see.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 16, 2024
Watt will probably be considered day-to-day moving forward, but the Steelers are also in the middle of a 10-day stretch where they will be playing three games. It is highly likely he is held out in Week 16 so he can be fully healthy later in the season and going into the playoffs.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
TJ Watt celebrates an interception against Bengals on opening day of 2022 season.
What did you think of Watt's performance? Let us know in the comments below!
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