George Pickens or T.J. Watt – who would the Steelers miss most versus the Ravens?
The Steelers are a little banged up right now, with injuries to big names like George Pickens and T.J. Watt. While both could potentially play on Saturday against the Ravens, their current status is in doubt. The Steelers have a terrible track record in games without Watt, but they have strengthened his position, as well. Conversely, they looked pretty bad offensively without Pickens on Sunday.
Specifically against the Ravens, who would the Steelers miss most: Pickens or Watt? Watt has stayed healthy this year; in fact, he has had to shoulder the load for others. But they have Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig up and running, not to mention Preston Smith.
As for George Pickens, that might even be worse. While offenses can focus more on other rushers when T.J. Watt isn’t out there, not having Pickens on the field exposes the Steelers’ other receivers. And if the run game isn’t going, they’re not moving the ball. We saw that last week.
Now, the Steelers did score 27 points and put up 400 yards of offense without Pickens two weeks ago. And they didn’t even know he would be out that game, though it was against the Browns. We saw what the offense looks like sans Pickens against a good team with a full week of practice against the Eagles, and it was no bueno. Verdad.
Without Pickens, the Steelers have Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, Scotty Wilson, and Ben Skowronek. They could also make more use of their tight ends and running backs to help compensate. Without Watt, the Steelers have Highsmith, Herbig, Smith, and Jeremiah Moon. And they can always compensate for the pass rush with more blitzing. Particularly from the inside linebackers who have had fewer blitz opportunities this season.
So if you had to pick one or the other for the Steelers to have on Saturday, would it be George Pickens or T.J. Watt? Who’s absence is less of a hindrance to their attempts to beat the Ravens?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
