The Steelers can nail down the AFC North on Saturday, with a win over the Ravens in Baltimore.
The bad news is they won’t have receiver George Pickens, who’ll miss his third straight game with a hamstring injury. The good news is the Steelers will have linebacker T.J. Watt, who suffered an ankle injury on Sunday in Philadelphia.
Watt has no injury designation for Saturday.
Quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal) is out. Safety DeShon Elliott is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) are questionable
The Steelers are 8-1 in their last nine games against the Ravens. They’re 1-10 in games played without Watt.
It won’t be easy without Pickens. Others will need to step up more than they did against the Eagles. And it puts more pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson to finish 2024 strong and to earn a new deal.
A home playoff game could be riding on it. And the Ravens know the stakes.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who tends to show up in big games played under the lights, is 1-4 against the Steelers. The only win came in overtime five years ago, against a combo platter of Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
Lamar is also out to prove that he can thrive in the postseason. Having a higher position on the playoff tree will help.
