'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In a franchise with a proud history of defensive excellence, T. J. Watt can claim to be one of the greatest Steelers defender ever. He has been excellent again this season and was expected to be pivotal in their Week 18 game against the Ravens. Pittsburgh won 17-10 against Baltimore but they did come with a price.
T. J. Watt was taken off the field with an injury on his left foot and did not return to the game. It came due to a feak incident when teammate Montravius Adams collided with his left knee, which seemed to get hyperextended and buckle and bit on contact.
What happened to T. J. Watt?
T. J. Watt was able to walk off on his own power but was taken to the medical tent immediately. He was diagnosed with an MCL sprain. He reportedly wanted to return to the game with the injury, which is a good sign that it might not be too bad, but the Steelers did not want to take the risk.
UPDATE: Watt suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear and will need couple of weeks to recover. Mike Tomlin has since ruled him out of the Wild Card showdown against the Bills.
T. J. Watt keeps showing excellence every season
With the final game of the regular season now done, it is a good time to look back at how good T. J. Watt has been yet again. For a long time, Myles Garrett was being considered as a potential MVP candidate and the Steelers pass-rusher might have slipped under the radar. Yet, he is the stats leader with 17 sacks. He has pushed the benchmark so high that even when he is the best in the league, sometime is does not register as a special achievement.
But Pittsburgh does not need to be told how important he is. This is a year when their offense has struggled. They have gone through three different starting quarterbacks: Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. They uncharacteristically fired offensive coordinator Matt Patricia mid-season.
It has been the defense that has kept them alive this season and Watt has been a huge part of that. They have allowed only 19.1 points per game on average, which is the fifth-best in the league. On offense, they have scored an average of 17.9 points per season, which is the sixth-worst in the league.
It has allowed them to finish with a 10-7 record, extending Mike Tomlin's record of never having a losing season. And that has kept them alive for playoff contention right until the final game of the season. If they do make it, Watt will be expected to play a huge role once again.
