The Pittsburgh Steelers have put themselves in the driver’s seat when it comes to their quest to win the AFC North division. However, there is still a lot of work to do over their final three regular-season games of the year, and that starts with picking up a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16.
While the Steelers did well to take down the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins in their past two games, beating the Lions is going to be easier said than done. Making things even more difficult for Pittsburgh is the fact that two of its top defensive players, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig, appear to be in serious danger of missing this game.
T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig Trending Towards Not Playing in Week 16
Ahead of the team’s game against the Dolphins, the Steelers announced that Watt had been hospitalized after suffering a lung injury while receiving treatment at the team’s facility. Watt was unsurprisingly ruled out for that game, but reports indicated that Pittsburgh was hopeful he’d be able to return to action in Week 16.
With Watt out, that placed a bigger burden on Herbig’s shoulders against Miami. However, he became the latest player to get bitten by the injury bug, as he suffered a hamstring injury along the way. And yet, even without two of their top pass rushers, the Steelers easily dispatched the Dolphins in Week 15.
Obviously, Pittsburgh wants to have all of its players healthy at all times, but having Watt and Herbig could be the difference between winning and losing vs. Detroit. Unfortunately for the Steelers, though, both of these guys missed practice on Thursday, which seems to be a sign that they are trending towards not being able to play in this game.
“Both edges TJ Watt (lung) and Nick Herbig (hamstring) didn’t practice today, a sign they may miss Sunday’s Steelers game against the Lions,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X Thursday afternoon.
Steelers Looking to Keep Pace atop AFC North by Beating Lions
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 04: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on in the second quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on January 04, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The good news for the Steelers is that, even if Watt and Herbig can’t play, they still have a loaded front seven on defense, led by guys like Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward. They could be asked to have big games on Sunday if one or both of Watt and Herbig can’t play, but Pittsburgh has already proven it can win, regardless of who is on the field for them.
The level of difficulty is going to increase dramatically in Week 16, though. The Lions, just like the Steelers, are fighting desperately for a playoff spot, and you can make an argument that they need to win this game more than Pittsburgh. The Steelers won’t care about that, though, and they will be doing everything they can to find a way to come out on top when these two teams square off on Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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