The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a shot to wrap up the AFC North division in Week 17 when they take on the Cleveland Browns. One of the big storylines ahead of this game, though, is whether or not the Steelers will have superstar defender T.J. Watt at their disposal after he missed the past two games with a lung injury.
Even without Watt, Pittsburgh has rattled off a pair of big wins over the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions to take full control of the AFC North division. After returning to practice this week, the Steelers opened the door for Watt to return in Week 17, but that hope was extinguished on Friday afternoon, as the team officially ruled Watt out for their upcoming game.
“The Steelers ruled out LB T.J. Watt (lung) for Sunday vs. Cleveland,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Given how important Watt is to the Steelers’ defense, being without him is obviously a big blow. However, Pittsburgh’s defense has stepped up in his absence, as they kept a potent Lions’ offense quiet in Week 16 after completely shutting down the Dolphins in Week 15.
On Sunday, Pittsburgh will draw a matchup against Cleveland, which has struggled on offense all year long. While they have looked better with Shedeur Sanders under center as of late, this is still a game the Steelers should come out on top in. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
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