The Pittsburgh Steelers are riding high entering the AFC playoffs after taking care of business down the stretch, winning three straight games and then getting some help from the Tennessee Titans.
It was a tumultuous season that featured a number of highs and lows, but in the end the Steelers finished 10-7 and made the playoffs after dealing with the firing of former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, injuries defensively that left them depleted at key positions, and seeing three different quarterbacks start games.
Now, a tough road test against the No. 2-seed AFC East champion Buffalo Bills awaits on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Wild Card Round. After going through a bunch of adversity just to get to the playoffs, the Steelers will have to deal with even more of it with star outside linebacker T.J. Watt unlikely to play in Buffalo.
Watt was injured in the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens and suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain, which should keep him out a couple of weeks. That’s a significant blow to the Steelers, who are just 1-10 without Watt since he entered the league in 2017.
That’s concerning no matter how you slice it. It has NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha concerned, too. In a piece for NFL.com looking at the things he likes and dislikes for each playoff team, Chadiha highlighted Watt’s absence as what he doesn’t like about the Steelers and believes the damage will be “hard to measure.”
“There’s a very real chance that Pittsburgh plays this wild-card game in Buffalo without its best player, edge rusher T.J. Watt. He didn’t finish that game against Baltimore after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the second half,” Chadiha writes regarding the Steelers and Watt’s likely absence. “That injury is considered significant enough that it could sideline Watt for at least a couple weeks. That’s better than a torn ligament, but it’s not the kind of news you want to hear when discussing a player who boasts a league-leading 19 sacks this season.
“Watt was a major reason why the Steelers were able to stay in playoff contention when that offense was so brutal. Take him away from Pittsburgh at this point in the year and the damage will be hard to measure.”
Historically, the Steelers without Watt are a mess. The 1-10 record speaks for itself. That also shows just how impactful Watt is overall. He’s a game-wrecker, one who can change a game entirely on just one snap.
The good news for the Steelers is that they are much more prepared — and deeper — this season at outside linebacker, thanks to the presence of veteran Markus Golden and impressive rookie Nick Herbig. Neither are Watt — nobody is — but Golden is a proven pass rusher and has been good in limited action this season with the Steelers. Meanwhile Herbig has really opened eyes this season when given an opportunity as a change-of-pace guy behind Watt and outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.
Heading to Buffalo likely without Watt against superstar quarterback Josh Allen is definitely concerning, but this situation isn’t like one the Steelers have found themselves in in the past without Watt, relying on practice squad guys or veterans who are on their last leg. They have great depth and experience to lean on, which should help them at least get by at the position.
But on the surface, it’s understandable that the absence of Watt has analysts like Chadiha concerned.
