The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed pretty healthy in their Week 16 blowout over the Houston Texans.
Despite a scary hit to T.J. Watt, the Steelers injury report stayed clear of anything major following their 34-6 win over Houston. The first-round pick did take a nasty blow to the knee during the game that sent him to the blue medical tent for awhile. But, Watt returned to action and seemed to be fine after he was treated for a few minutes.
Returning players Joe Haden and Vance McDonald didn’t miss a beat in their first game in weeks. Coming back from a fractured fibula and a shoulder injury, Haden and McDonald played significant roles in the Steelers win.
Antonio Brown didn’t dress, and will remain off the field until at least the playoffs. With two different stories regarding his return date, no one is certain when to expect the Pro Bowl wide receiver back. With two weeks before their first postseason game, though, the Steelers will focus most of their attention on getting Brown back to full health before a major game.
Coty Sensabaugh (concussion) and Ramon Foster (shoulder) did miss the game, but are showing hopeful signs of return. With the Browns next on the schedule, it could be a nice transition to get these guys playing time before the playoffs.
Right now, the Steelers biggest concerns are keeping this team healthy. Don’t be surprised if the injury report is long this week, or if numerous players don’t get much playing time in Week 17. Against the 0-15 Browns, it isn’t like Pittsburgh will need much help in securing the win.
Next: Two different stories of Brown's return
Week 17 will be more interesting to make sure the Steelers find their way to the top of the AFC instead of which players will and will not play. Either way, though, we should expect some action from their starters at the beginning of their Week 17 matchup.