On one hand, the Pittsburgh Steelers did manage to make it to the playoffs and keep Mike Tomlin’s winning-season streak alive.
On the other hand, they lost their absolute best player and will be in trouble against the Buffalo Bills without him.
As his older brother J.J. had already hinted, T.J. Watt suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain during the win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, according to Ian Rapoport, the best-case scenario for his return to play is in two weeks with a brace.
That means the Steelers will need to find a way to get past the Bills without Watt and then hope to beat their next opponent to have Watt back on the field for the AFC Championship Game.
With the #Steelers officially in the playoffs, and star TJ Watt dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, sources say the absolute best-case scenario for this injury is to play in two weeks with a brace.
So to get Watt back on the field, Pittsburgh likely needs to win a few.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2024
Needless to say, that’s easier said than done, and they still have another elite pass rusher in Alex Highsmith; the Bills boast an explosive offense that’s hard to stop even at full strength.
The Steelers stumbled their way through the NFL season.
Their offense ranked among the league’s worst for the most part, and they have yet to make an announcement regarding who’s going to be their starting quarterback for the playoffs after Mason Rudolph started the final three games of the season.
Their defense was solid, but losing their best player is obviously a major blow, especially at this point in the season.
The Bills are 9.5-point home favorites ahead of this game, which speaks volumes of how lopsided this matchup could end up being.
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