The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers at home this weekend coming off of 10 days rest, though the good news may end there.
Pittsburgh added superstar edge-rusher T.J. Watt to the injury report on Thursday, citing a hip issue that has put his status for the Sunday showdown in some measure of question.
“Pass-rusher T.J. Watt, after a day of rest, was given a limited status today with a hip injury,” Justis Mosqueda of SB Nation wrote. “Pittsburgh is already giving up tons of explosive plays in its man-coverage-heavy defensive scheme. Without Watt potentially rushing the quarterback, big plays will only be easier for the Packers’ offense.”
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Watt has yet to miss a contest this season and has not sat out a regular season game since 2022. He has tallied 10 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and four sacks through six outings this year.
As Mosqueda noted, it is paramount for Pittsburgh’s defense to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks so as to shorten the length of time cornerbacks have to defend pass-catchers on an island unto themselves. Getting pressure with just four, which is a luxury teams like the Steelers have because of elite pass-rushers such as Watt, helps the pass-coverage cause even more.
Green Bay is likely to be without wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, while wideout Christian Watson was a limited participant in practice Thursday and has yet to play this season due to an ACL tear he suffered in January.
The Packers are coming off of a hard-fought road win over the Arizona Cardinals and backup QB Jacoby Brissett in Week 7, while the Steelers surrendered what was a three-game win streak in a 33-31 loss to the Joe Flacco-led Cincinnati Bengals last week on “Thursday Night Football.”
Green Bay (4-1-1) is technically leading the NFC based on win percentage, which is second in the NFL to only the Indianapolis Colts (6-1), while Pittsburgh (4-2) is leading the AFC North Division. The Packers opened as 3.5-point road favorites against the Steelers, though that line has dipped to 2.5 points since then, per ESPN Bet.
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