The Pittsburgh Steelers had their chance to avoid a critical and pressure-filled season finale. To win the AFC North, the Steelers just had to defeat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. If they did that, the Steelers would also eliminate the rival Baltimore Ravens for playoff contention. It really was as simple as that.
Sadly for the Steelers, they weren't able to capitalize on this winnable game on paper. In fact, they did everything in their power to lose, and they did just that.
On Sunday, the Steelers lost to the Browns 13-6, setting up a win-or-go-home battle with the Ravens for the AFC North Championship next Sunday. For that game, the Steelers will already be without star wide receiver DK Metcalf, who is serving a suspension for striking a fan last week. They may be without another key member of their offense.
After the game, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced that tight end Darnell Washington suffered a broken arm and was spotted wearing a cast and a sling. Given the severity of the injury and the lack of a return timetable, it's highly unlikely that he will be able to play next week.
Darnell Washington suffers broken arm in the Pittsburgh Steelers' tough loss to Browns
Washington suffered the injury in the first quarter after catching both of his targets for a total of 15 yards. He was initially deemed questionable to return, but did not take the football field again for the remainder of the game. The hope was that the injury wasn't too serious. But he's dealing with a broken arm and likely puts the Steelers at more of a disadvantage against the Ravens next week.
Entering Sunday's game, Washington recorded 29 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown on 41 targets.
The Steelers, Tomlin, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will have to come up with some sort of plan to ensure they can keep up with the Ravens' offense. Let's not forget that on Saturday, the Ravens used their plan of running the ball at will with Derrick Henry to pick up a huge 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. Henry ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. Not to mention, there is the Lamar Jackson factor, if he's healthy enough to play.
The Steelers not only have to make up for Metcalf's absence, but potentially also Washington's. Not a position they want to be in with their season on the line next week.