(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they were going to sneak into the 2023 NFL Playoffs, but after suffering back-to-back losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots those hopes are quickly slipping away.
The Steelers had an excellent opportunity to keep their momentum, but losing against the Cardinals and Patriots put a serious damper on their season.
Pittsburgh now has to be nearly perfect down the stretch to claim a Wild Card spot, but have a lot of questions to answer.
Head coach Mike Tomlin admitted that things are going to need to change for the Steelers to find their groove though the defense is now ailing.
Alex Highsmith was placed in concussion protocol following the loss to New England, a tough blow for the team if he’s unable to get cleared before their Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Aside from Highsmith, Pittsburgh also placed star pass rusher T.J. Watt in concussion protocol via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Add another one: TJ Watt came in with symptoms yesterday morning and the #Steelers placed him in protocol, per @SteelersPRBurt. https://t.co/RGNr7FQeXv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 9, 2023
Watt didn’t seem to show any visible symptoms against the Patriots, though this happens often when a player finishes a game and then starts to not feel well.
Teams and the league have been very careful about player safety in recent years, especially when it comes to concussions.
Fortunately for Watt and Pittsburgh, they have a little more time for their star to clear protocol ahead of Week 15.
Hopefully, both Highsmith and Watt are able to go against the Colts because the team needs them in order to get out of their current funk.
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