The Pittsburgh Steelers injury report is making it pretty clear the team will face the Cleveland Browns without a number of starters.
When it comes to meaningless games, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs the 0-15 Cleveland Browns stand tall and far above the rest. The Steelers are a stretch from getting homefield advantage, but have already secured a first-round bye in the AFC.
Therefore, playing guys this team will count on during the playoffs isn’t something they want to risk. Whether or not players like Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, Le’Veon Bell or Cameron Heyward will play in Week 17 has yet to be said by the Steelers. But chances are, most of the starters will either sit or spend most of their time on the bench in this one.
With these guys missing most of practice this week, the likelihood of them playing isn’t high. So, like always, there’s going to be more “Is resting players worth it?” stories than actual headlines following the game.
That doesn’t matter when you have superstars like these. The Killer B’s can single-handedly change a game and everyone, including Mike Tomlin, knows it.
Injury Report
Pittsburgh Steelers
Out
WR Antonio Brown (Calf)
Questionable
C Maurkice Pouncey (Hip)
Cleveland Browns
Out
FB Danny Vitale (Groin)
Questionable
DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun (Knee)
RB Matthew Dayes (Knee)
DB Derron Smith (Hip)
DB Jamar Taylor (Foot)
The Steelers report is clean, but that doesn’t mean players won’t see the field. Many names not listed will be gametime scratches. Even some that have practiced this week could find themselves undressed prior to kickoff.
Next: Betting line drops as Steelers pull starters
How backups like Landry Jones and Stevan Ridley play this week won’t really matter as the Steelers are pretty certain to be sitting as the No. 2 seed either way. That being said, it could be nice to watch some second-stringers get quality action as they prepare themselves for a postseason run as well.