Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers luckily walked out of Week 13 without too many injuries. Better yet, they walked away with their fifth victory of the season, their second consecutive. The black and gold remain one of the luckiest teams in the NFL this season when it comes to injuries and staying healthy. Knock on wood.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
As usual, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the team's injuries in his weekly press conference on Tuesday. While TJ Watt and Larry Ogunjobi both played in the team's victory over the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend, they'll once again be limited in practice early in the week due to nagging injuries. Both of them were limited early last week, but then played on Sunday.
Watt continues to deal with an injury to his ribs. Starting offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor picked up a shoulder injury in Week 13, so he'll also be limited early in the week too. Okorafor still played 98.5% of the team's offensive snaps in the victory. The offensive line has had incredible injury luck this season, as none of the five starters have missed a full game. Center Mason Cole has left two games with injuries, but he's still started every contest.
While the three players will be limited, Tomlin isn't too concerned with their availability for this weekend's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
As for other news, the team's head coach did mention that cornerback William Jackson III and kicker Chris Boswell are eligible to come off the IR this week. While they are eligible, Tomlin said he doesn't have an update on either one at the moment and if they are indeed near a return.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Jackson has dealt with a back injury all season, dating back to when he was with the Washington Commanders. Since the Steelers acquired him just ahead of the trade deadline, Jackson has yet to appear in a game for his new team. On the other hand, Boswell has a right groin injury that forced him to be placed on the IR. Matthew Wright has been the team's starting kicker over the last month, his second stint with the team.
While it hasn't always been pretty, Wright is 12-for-14 (85.7%) on field goal attempts in his four games with Pittsburgh. He's also made all seven of the extra-point attempts, something fans would like to see more of. Despite his success, the job is clearly Boswell's when he is healthy and ready to return. For now, Jackson and Boswell seem unlikely to be activated off the IR this week, as Tomlin didn't have an update on either.
What kind of impact can Jackson have when he joins the lineup? What have been your thoughts on Wright's performance in Boswell's absence? Share your opinions in the comment section below, yinz!
#SteelerNation
MORE STEELERS NEWS
Amidst Latest 2022 Struggles, Could This Be Steelers WR Diontae Johnson’s Last Season In Pittsburgh?
