The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big task ahead with the Baltimore Ravens next on the schedule. In Week 16, Mike Tomlin and his team will travel to Maryland in an attempt to secure the AFC North crown. One of the highlights of the game heading into it will be the injuries that both franchises are dealing with. Luckily for the Steelers, AP Defensive Player of the Year favorite TJ Watt is expected to be good to go. On the negative side, George Pickens and DeShon Elliott are both unlikely to be on the field for the contest. This reality makes things tougher for Pittsburgh.
Watt went down with an ankle injury late in a Week 15 game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. He avoided the more serious high-ankle sprain, but his status for the massive divisional contest was still in question. The edge rusher was able to practice late in the week and was upgraded to being a full participant during Thursday's workout, signaling that he will be in uniform down in Baltimore.
For fans expecting Watt to be at 100%, that is unlikely due to the nature of his injury. That is leaving former NFL team doctor David J. Chao worried about how the Steelers will have to use the dynamic defender. It's extremely possible that he is put in a position he is a little less comfortable with based on which ankle the injury is affecting. Chao noted this for Sports Injury Central.
"Left inversion ankle sprain. Outside leg when he pass rushes from the left defensive side," Chao said. "I've looked at the video. It is a mild ankle sprain, but we've looked at practice video. He clearly is hampered on the left side. There's no way he can be TJ Watt and get around the edge on the defensive left side, look for him to flip to the right side against the offensive left tackle where he can have a healthy right ankle to get around the edge."
Chao has earned a reputation of being right way more times than not when trying to diagnosis a player's injury simply by video footage. He spent 17+ years in the NFL as a team physician, which makes his comments notable. It's very possible that fans see a ton of Watt on the defensive right side, while Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig work on the left.
It's likely that the Ravens are prepared for this and while it could thrown off their offensive line a bit, it will also be a little odd for the Steelers' edge rushers on the defensive side. Watt at 70% coming off of the left defensive side it better than most pass rushers across the league, but for a game this big, Pittsburgh needs its best player to be at, or near, 100%.
Watt could see a lot more of Ronnie Stanley than he is used to if he does indeed rush Lamar Jackson's blindside on Saturday. It will be a little bit awkward for all parties involved, however, the Steelers won't want Watt ending up too sore, or injured worse, if consistently has to set up on his natural side. Overall, Pittsburgh could have the advantage of moving Watt around in order to confuse the offense.
Steelers Doing Absolutely Everything Possible To Clinch AFC North
While Pickens and Elliott aren't going to be able to play, right when the training staff gave Tomlin and Watt the go ahead, there was no way that the defender was going to miss out on an opportunity to win the division. He may have to get warmed up and the adrenaline flowing before he is pain-free, but the fact that he will be on the field already spells trouble for the Ravens. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers plan to use him.
