The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a tough schedule this season and it is not over yet. The Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. This gritty, physical, rivalry is always determined by just a few points, and having a key player missing on either team can be enough to tip the balance. For the Steelers this week, that key player could be TJ Watt.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Watt Terrible Steelers News
Thursday brought the official injury report and the news that every Steeler fan hates to hear, "TJ Watt did not practice today." Watt has been dealing with a pectoral injury since Week 1. He was sidelined until after the bye week. Watt's practice was limited last week before the Steelers traveled to Atlanta for the Week 13 game against the Falcons with a rib injury. However, Watt played 87% of the snaps that game which gives fans some hope.
Now, here we are, heading into Week 14, and once again Watt has been limited in practice early this week. It appears it may be worse than originally thought as he was listed as "out" on Thursday.
This does not mean that he is definitively out for Sunday. The Friday injury report will still give him a chance to show if he is improved. However, he may be missing his eighth Steelers game of the season, in an all-important match-up that has major playoff implications for both teams.
Najee Harris (oblique) and Chuks Okorafor (shoulder) upgraded from DNP to limited Thursday, but TJ Watt (ribs) and Diontae Johnson (hip) downgraded from limited to out and Larry Ogunjobi (toe) DNP again. Friday is significant for them.
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) December 8, 2022
Elsewhere, Malik Reed (back) was full.
When Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin was asked about the injury report Wednesday he said:
“Guys that were carrying bumps and bruises into play who were somehow limited during the course of last week’s work, but then were able to play, you just don’t want to assume that that’s behind them,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. “I’m prepared for them maybe to be affected somewhere in the early portions of the week, but not as we lean in on game time. Guys like T.J. [Watt], Larry Ogunjobi, guys that kind of were partial participants at various times last week may be slowed as we come together and get this train out of the station.”
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Fingers crossed that Watt is able to improve enough to play. Do you think Watt will be able to suit up on Sunday? What worries you most about not having him on the field? Click to comment below!
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