Pittsburgh is preparing for their final game of the regular season against the Cleveland Browns. Here are the latest Steelers news and injury updates.
We can now countdown the days until we find out whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing post-season football in January. After a 2-6 start to the season, Mike Tomlin’s team has flipped the script and gone 6-2 since their Week 9 bye. Still, it’s going to take some help from the Bills and Jets this week to get in.
What makes this so nerve-racking is that these games will be going on simultaneously, and based on the scores of the Bills vs Patriots and Jets vs Dolphins, we may know if we’ve been eliminated from playoff contention before Pittsburgh’s game against Cleveland is even over.
During his Tuesday press conference, Mike Tomlin shed light on the latest Steelers news and injury updates. Here’s what you need to know as we gear up for the final week of practice.
Steelers news
Prior to Week 17 games kicking off on New Year’s day this past Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers had just a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight. However, that number skyrocketed to 15 percent following the outcomes of crucial AFC games on Sunday.
Now their chances have increased even further. The latest from FiveThirtyEight has the Steelers with a 21 percent chance to make the playoffs. This is likely attributed to the fact that seventh-round rookie QB, Skylar Thomspon, is slated to start for the Dolphins this week.
Pittsburgh needs Miami to lose to the Jets, and the Steelers could actually benefit from unfortunate injuries to both Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater. If Pittsburgh wins in Week 18 and the Patriots and Dolphins lose, they are in the tournament.
More Steelers news
Mike Tomlin recently shed light on Pittsburgh’s injuries suffered in the win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Both Minkah Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson went down in obvious pain during the game. Fortunately, both were quick to return to the field and were able to play through their injuries.
During the presser, Tomlin stated that Myles Jack is still dealing with a groin injury, but that he’s optimistic about his status for Week 18. He also noted that Fitzpatrick could be limited early in the week with an ankle injury. The biggest injury from Sunday was cornerback James Pierre left the game and did not return. He is in concussion protocol and his status for the season finale won’t be known until late in the week.
NFL news
Players, coaches, and fans everywhere held their breath and joined together to pray for Bills safety, Damar Hamlin. After collapsing on the field, the NFL did the right thing to postpone the Bills vs Bengals game. It’s unclear if or when it will get rescheduled, but the only thing that matters right now is Hamlin.
Love and prayers for 3. We are with you, Damar. 💙@HamlinIsland | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/TJqlh3ezyg
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 3, 2023
On Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres showed their support for Hamlin by showing up to their game with shirts that read ‘Love For 3’ — which is Hamlin’s jersey number. This is a tragic and scary time for all those involved and our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the Hamlin family.