Is T.J. Watt playing tonight vs Bengals?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt are playing in a must-win game in Week 12. The Cincinnati Bengals and the Steelers are trying to stay in the AFC North divisional race with the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals have a 1-0 tiebreaker advantage over the Steelers going into Week 12.

Watt's absence in Week 11 carried heavy repercussions. The Steelers defense was responsible for their defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers in primetime. The defense allowed a season-high 41 points to Justin Herbert's offense.

For the Steelers to beat the Bengals, Watt needs to be 100 percent healthy and play at a high level. Luckily, his shoulder injury seems to have healed just in time.

T.J. Watt is playing today vs. Bengals.

T.J. Watt was dealing with both a hip and knee injury ahead of the game. He was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday. But on Friday, he was a full participant and had no injury designation on the official injury report.

Out of all the pass rushers in the NFL, Watt ranks second in sacks with 12.5. He's just a .5 sack behind Myles Garrett for the league lead. Watt has achieved his sack total in just eight games thus far, while Garrett has played 11.

Watt's absence haunted the Steelers equally in pass-and-run games. The Chargers could do whatever they wanted without any resistance. They totaled 533 total yards and averaged 7.7 yards per play.

For as outstanding as Watt's pass-rushing skills are, he's equally important at run defense. Watt is a sure tackler, and the Steelers missed tackles on seemingly every play against the Chargers.

The richest defender in the NFL won't be the only Steelers all-star returning to the lineup Sunday. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is also set to return, which will prevent teams from pushing the ball downfield as much as Herbert did.

Joe Haden is questionable but is trending towards playing as well. With Fitzpatrick and Watt healthy, the Steelers' biggest strength is back.

The Bengals will be a big test for the Steelers defense. The last time they played, Joe Mixon ran for 5.0 yards per tote, and Joe Burrow was 14 of 18 throwing with three touchdowns.

The Steelers play the Ravens twice and the Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs once during the rest of the season. Their path to the playoffs is going to be challenging. But having T.J. Watt back and healthy will go a long way in aiding them in their quest.