Steelers news: Watt returns to practice, Highsmith recognized, and more

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to take on the Baltimore Ravens for a pivotal Week 14 matchup. Here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend.

There’s a lot on the line this Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After most NFL analysts wrote them off with a dismal 2-6 record entering the bye week. They have since fought back to a 5-7 record. With a win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, Mike Tomlin’s team would be just one game back from .500 and firmly in the Wild Card hunt in the AFC.

The Steelers have had pretty close to a clean bill of health over the past two weeks, but the mid-week practice report was a little worrisome. Fortunately, we’ve received some good news heading into the weekend. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Pittsburgh’s game against Baltimore this Sunday:

Steelers news

After T.J. Watt, Diontae Johnson, and Larry Ogunjobi each missed Thursday’s practice with apparent injury setbacks, fans voiced their concerns on social media. Not having even one of these players could prove to make a difference in a game that could potentially be decided by a field goal. However, we can all breathe a sigh of relief after Steelers injury report on Friday.

Watt, Johnson, and Ogunjobi were able to return to the field for Friday’s practice. Ogunjobi was a full-go while Watt and Johnson were still limited. Though they will have questionable designations attached to their names this week, this is a very encouraging sign that they will suit up against the Ravens on Sunday. In a game with so much on the line, we expect them to be out there.

More Steelers news

Just before the weekend, the Next Gen Stats Analytic Team at NFL.com comprised rankings of their top-edge defenders so far during the 2022 season. They ranked the top ten edge defenders based on their grading scale that measures impact in both the run and the pass. Alex Highsmith slotted in as the sixth-best edge defender in the NFL.

This is an honor we are used to seeing T.J. Watt achieve, but it’s excellent to know that Pittsburgh has another excellent pass rusher on the outside they can count on. Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons topped the list, but Highsmith was ranked higher than other impressive pass rushers like Za’Darius Smith, Josh Sweat, Matt Judon, and Maxx Crosby — earning a 92 overall score. Some notable names this year like Brandon Graham, Montez Sweat, Von Miller, and Danielle Hunter didn’t even make the list.