Mike Tomlin addressed the media in his weekly post-game press conference. Here’s what we learned about Steelers injuries suffered against the Saints.
While we can certainly disect the performance of Kenny Pickett and Pittsburgh’s underwhelming passing offense after their home win against the New Orleans Saints, most of the news pertaining to the Steelers entering Week 11 is positive. This includes the current health status of players who suffered injuries during the game.
Obviously, there weren’t any injuries that seemed overly concerning while watching the contest live. Though Steelers fans held their breath as Najee Harris went down in pain after his season-long 36-yard run, his return to the field just a few minutes later was a good indication that his injury wasn’t too serious.
During Mike Tomlin’s Tuesday press conference, he discussed the health status of his players and the nicks and bruises suffered during the victory in Week 10 against New Orleans. So far, it doesn’t sound like there are any major concerns.
Mike Tomlin says Kevin Dotson has a hip injury. Najee Harris also has some knee discomfort, but doesn't expect it to be an issue "relative to game participation." They're still monitoring Ahkello Witherspoon, and Minkah Fitzpatrick has already began running.
— Chris Halicke (@ChrisHalicke) November 15, 2022
Tomlin expressed that Najee has some slight discomfort in his knee, but indicated that he is still likely to suit up and play against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. Likewise, offensive guard Kevin Dotson suffered a hip injury during the game, but Tomlin noted that we will let ‘participation be our guide.’
Tomlin news:
— Noah Strackbein (@NoahStrackbein) November 15, 2022
- Minkah Fitzpatrick might be coming back this week
- Najee Harris (knee discomfort) still likely to play
- Kevin Dotson (hip) "participation will be our guide"
- Matthew Wright will kick against the Bengals
- Minkah Fitzpatrick is a grumpy guy
Tomlin also touched on previously injured players who may or may not return this week. The Steelers head coach confirmed that Matthew Wright will kick again this Sunday against the Bengals. This wasn’t totally unexpected, but Chris Boswell’s presence would have been a nice addition to a team that left six points on the board last week with missed field goals.
Perhaps most importantly, Tomlin noted that Minkah Fitzpatrick has already begun running and that he feels ‘really positive’ about the Pro Bowl safety’s chances of playing this week against the Bengals.
Mike Tomlin said he's "really positive" about Minkah Fitzpatrick playing Sunday against the Bengals. He said Fitzpatrick wanted to play against Saints
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) November 15, 2022
Steelers need all hands on deck vs the Bengals
The first time these two teams faced each other in Week 1, it took every bit of 5 takeaways and 7 sacks for Pittsburgh to have enough juice to pull off an overtime win in Cincinnati. This was in addition to an interception returned for a touchdown by Fitzpatrick.
The Bengals are a talented team with a good offense, and the Steelers know what’s on the line here. Zac Taylor would love nothing more than drive the final nail into the coffin of Pittsburgh’s 2022 season and force them to fall to 3-7 on the year. However, we know that Tomlin will be fighting tooth and nail to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Pittsburgh will once again be home underdogs, and in order to pull off the upset, they are going to need all hands on deck. T.J. Watt gave this defense a massive boost in his first action back in over two months. If the Steelers can nurse back to full health and return players like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ahkello Witherspoon to the field, it could be just what the doctor ordered to come away with an upset win in Week 11.
Participation in practice will be key this week as Pittsburgh will once again look to save their season — this time against a heated divisional rival. Stay with us for injury updates as we draw closer to this pivotal matchup.