The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t but know if T.J. Watt will play towards the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. If he doesn’t, nonetheless, they know they are going to get no sympathy from their opponents. The Ravens want this recreation much more than the Steelers do, and that’s only a truth. Watt is nursing a low ankle sprain, and enjoying on a brief weeks makes his fast return much more troublesome.
Whereas the Steelers have a horrendous monitor document enjoying with out Watt, they’re higher outfitted for such an prevalence than they’ve been prior to now. Sans Watt, they nonetheless have Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Preston Smith, and Jeremiah Moon, which isn’t too shabby. It’s not T.J .Watt, however DC Teryl Austin is aware of the NFL is about making the perfect of what you’ve.
“You’re going to lose guys infrequently, and the blokes behind, we’ve got confidence in them coming in and enjoying and with the ability to maintain the job down and get it finished”, Austin mentioned in regards to the potential of enjoying with out T.J. Watt, through transcript supplied by the Steelers. “We don’t have a pity celebration as a result of we’re dropping any person. Everyone is lacking individuals at this level of the yr. The most important factor is how do the blokes that must step into roles, how do they do when their alternative is introduced to them?”.
Watt has missed 11 video games all through his NFL profession, through which the Steelers are 1-10. The vast majority of these video games got here in 2022, when he missed seven because of damage. He has not missed a recreation since then, nonetheless, and is in competition for the Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award.
On the season, Watt has 11.5 sacks, 54 tackles, 18 for loss, 27 hits, six compelled fumbles, and two recoveries. He nearly at all times manages to make some impression play, together with a third-down sack the final time the Steelers performed the Ravens to pressure a punt, even when it wasn’t his most memorable.
We’ll discover out later at the moment whether or not or not the Steelers are prone to have T.J. Watt on Saturday. My guess is he will likely be listed as Questionable, as a result of the NFL determined a Possible designation was too helpful. In different phrases, we’d not know his standing till 90 minutes earlier than kickoff.
Whereas the Steelers received’t throw themselves a pity celebration ought to they be with out Watt, Austin admitted they wouldn’t be very blissful about it. That goes with out saying everytime you don’t have entry to an elite participant, after all. And the Ravens are assured they will deal with the Steelers’ offense.
To have an damage timed as poorly as this solely makes issues worse. The Steelers would clinch the AFC North on Saturday in the event that they beat the Ravens. Having Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig is sweet, however you need T.J. Watt on the market for essential performs.
It’s been some time for the reason that Steelers have needed to play a recreation with out Watt. They’ll discover out in the event that they must whether or not they’ve made satisfactory sufficient enhancements that maintain them aggressive in his absence, however that may be very a lot Plan B.
