The Pittsburgh Steelers will play their wildcard match against the Buffalo Bills without one of their best players.
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt suffered a knee injury in Pittsburgh’s Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, and now the team has officially ruled him out for this weekend’s game.
For a number of reasons, the Steelers are devastated by this loss.
First off, despite Watt’s league-high sack total in 2023, the Steelers won’t be fielding one of the NFL’s top edge rushers for this game.
In addition, his presence draws a lot of attention from opposing offensive lines, creating space behind the line of scrimmage for the rest of the Steelers defence.
When Watt has missed time in the past, Pittsburgh’s defence hasn’t been as strong either. In 2022, the Steelers won only one of the seven games in which Watt was sidelined due to pectoral and knee ailments sustained early in the season.
The team could also be without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who are all dealing with various injuries.
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On the surface, the Bills provide a difficult opponent for the Steelers, but without Watt, it becomes even more so.
Josh Allen, the quarterback for Buffalo, is among the greatest in the NFL and has the ability to take off and run at any time. The Bills have a strong running game as well.
If Pittsburgh prevails, the hope is that Watt will recover in time to participate in the divisional round the following week.
