The Steelers have lost three straight games following their Week 14 victory over the Cleveland Browns, and they’ve surrendered 25 points or more in each of those outings. Not only that, but the three somewhat noncompetitive losses have come at the hands of playoff teams that Pittsburgh could end up facing in January or February.

Needless to say, these results have sparked both anger and concern within the locker room and the fanbase, and linebacker Patrick Queen had a message for his teammates on December 26.

“Regroup. RefocUS. .” Queen posted on his Instagram story, emphasizing an all-caps “US” in “refocus.” Steelers Depot also shared his message on X.

A contingent of Steelers fans might argue that Queen himself is part of the problem amid a down first season in Pittsburgh, but the key defensive starter appears to be attempting to show some leadership either way.

When times are tough, it becomes easy to point the finger of blame — and Steelers defenders have done a lot of that in recent weeks, Queen included. Having said that, there’s still time to right the ship, and perhaps this message is the right one.

Regroup. Refocus. The real season is about to begin.

Steelers Reporter Says Patrick Queen Had ‘Personal Conversation’ With Russell Wilson After Week 17

For better or for worse, Queen has taken on a leadership role with the Steelers, and he’s been leaning into that role in recent weeks. Veteran beat reporter Mark Kaboly (Pat McAfee Show) even revealed that Queen talked with quarterback Russell Wilson after Week 17.

“A handful of players were having one-on-one private talks after the game,” Kaboly relayed on X. “It’s something that usually doesn’t happen. Queen was talking to Russell Wilson. [Linebacker] Elandon Roberts after that. Queen said it was a personal conversation and didn’t elaborate but the nature of the talk was out of the norm.”

Kaboly also noted that “Queen’s frustration was visibly percolating in the locker room even though he was deliberate – unlike others – in leaving the locker room.”

The overall message from Queen, among others: “We just have to do our jobs.” Something Kaboly elaborated on.

“Players saying ‘Do your job’ isn’t something new following a loss,” the Steelers insider wrote. “It’s pretty much part of their vernacular when they lose. But this one sure feels different. It’s been said over and over again over the past few weeks, and it has the feel that the outspoken leaders are mostly referring to one player.”

Although Kaboly never went as far as to name a culprit — and neither did Queen or anyone on the Steelers defense — he did highlight safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, cornerback Donte Jackson, defensive back Damontae Kazee and cornerback Cameron Sutton as players that have been involved in clear defensive breakdowns in recent games.

Steelers Must End Season on High Note by Beating Bengals

The Steelers’ final game of the regular season will come on January 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals. So, in a way, Pittsburgh now has a mini bye following a hectic three-game skid.

This matchup could end up meaning everything or nothing for the Bengals, depending on the remainder of Week 17, but either way it’ll be important for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has already clinched a playoff spot, but it’s clear that they need to close out the year on a high note considering the current state of their locker room. If they lose to the Bengals and finish on a four-game losing streak, it could crush the Steelers’ confidence heading into the wildcard round.

On the flip side, a dominant victory could do wonders, especially if they keep a division rival out of the playoffs in the process.

Not only could the Steelers still win the division with a Week 18 win and a Ravens loss, but it might also give them the belief they need. That, in itself, is more important than postseason seeding.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter argued, though, the Steelers don’t have much of a choice. If they want to continue to compete for a postseason berth in 2025, then they have to bring back Wilson.

“What do you want them to do at the quarterback position?” Schefter asked on ESPN’s Get Up on December 26, via The Steelers Depot. “Who’s going to be out there that’s an upgrade over Russell Wilson right now?

“There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft. You’re not going to get either one of those. The top free agent quarterbacks are going to be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback in the trade market that all of the sudden is going to spring free? Probably not.

“So, this is where the Steelers are.”

Wilson has completed 64.6% of his passes for an average of about 7.7 yards per attempt this season. He also has 15 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

That was more than good enough for the Steelers to go 6-1 in his first seven starts. But Wilson and the Steelers went winless in a three-game stretch against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

Versus those three Super Bowl contenders, Wilson averaged 5.9 yards per pass and 183.3 passing yards per game. He also had only 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Steelers Still Want to Bring Back Russell Wilson?

Schefter began his argument by reporting that the Steelers want Wilson to return. So, in a way, Schefter’s point was moot because the team doesn’t seem interested in testing the quarterback market again.

But the insider’s point still rings true. Last year, the Steelers went quarterback shopping because a few available quarterbacks likely offered an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. That’s not the case with Wilson and the possible 2025 quarterback market.

So, for next season, Schefter said the Steelers will have to re-sign Wilson and find other ways to improve.

“They’ve got to find a way to build out the roster and get the turnover battle that they haven’t been able to get to compete with the top teams,” Schefter added. “If they are not getting turnovers, they’re not going to win.”

The Steelers are 10-6 in large part because of their plus-15 turnover margin. Entering Week 17, they held the second-best turnover differential in the NFL.

But over the past three games, the Steelers are minus-2 in turnover margin.

The Steelers were a little unlucky against the Ravens and Chiefs. They forced 4 fumbles on defense and special teams but were unable to recover any of them.

In a perfect world, though, the Steelers would be able to compete without always having to rely on takeaways.

Is the Door Now Open to a Justin Fields Return to Pittsburgh?

Schefter made no mention of Justin Fields in his discussion about Wilson’s future in Pittsburgh. The general consensus among NFL pundits is Fields will not return to the Steelers in 2025 because either the team will not able be able to afford him with Wilson or Fields will have an opportunity to start elsewhere.

But unless Wilson finishes the 2024 campaign on a high note, there will be some fans wondering whether Fields is a better long-term option.

Sports Illustrated’s Noah Strackbein argued that the Steelers should consider Fields over Wilson for Week 18.

“The Steelers have a decision to make. If they want a real shot at breaking their playoff drought, they need to give Fields another chance,” Strackbein wrote. “Otherwise, they’re heading into the final week of the season with a quarterback who’s losing them games, and ignoring that the magic apple of Russell Wilson has turned bad.”

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave no indication that’s a possibility in his Week 17 postgame press conference. But the speculation about what the team should do at quarterback this offseason will likely be rampant if Wilson can’t lead the team to a playoff win.

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After the team’s 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on December 25, captain Cameron Heyward voiced his frustration with the defense. While conveying his strong dissatisfaction, Heyward appeared to suggest, although not revealing a specific name, that one player is most responsible for the defense’s recent issues.

“When 10 guys do their job and one guy doesn’t, we are screwed,” Heyward said to the media, via Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.

On Christmas, an opponent had receivers running wide open against the Steelers secondary for the second straight game. The Chiefs gashed the Steelers pass defense for 8.4 yards per attempt and a total of 320 yards. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 3 touchdowns.

The Steelers defense also didn’t have a takeaway for the first time since Week 4.

Cameron Heyward, DeShon Elliott Blast Steelers Defense

It’s possible that Heyward was speaking more generally and not calling out one specific player. Heyward appeared to make a more general comment after the loss on December 25 when he said the last three weeks that the Steelers have “played like [expletive].”

But other Steelers defenders also spoke out against their own unit and seemed to imply that there’s a particular spot that’s frustrating.

Veteran safety DeShon Elliott ripped into his team’s secondary.

“First off, guys can’t be [expletive] wide open. That’s the first thing. Just do your job,” Elliott told reporters, via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Christopher Carter. “I thought we were communicating, [but] guys weren’t doing their frickin’ job.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, but it’s Week 18. We shouldn’t be having these problems in Week 18. This is a Week 1, Week 2 problem.”

Elliott also said that the Chiefs “did what they were supposed to do” in terms of halftime adjustments while the Steelers didn’t.

What Elliott didn’t make clear, though, is whether the coaching staff didn’t attempt to make the proper adjustments or if one defender wasn’t able to execute those adjustments.

Patrick Queen Also Critical of Steelers Defense

Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen didn’t use NSFW language as Heyward and Elliott did. But he didn’t appear pleased with his defensive teammates either.

“We keep talking about it. Nobody is doing a thing about it,” Queen told reporters, via Kaboly. “If nobody does anything about what they are supposed to be doing then we don’t have any room for it.”

Queen added in a follow-up answer that the Steelers have been trying to address the problem he was referring to for two or three weeks. But the problem hasn’t been fixed.

“It is at a point where you realize it and go out there and play fast and play physical and do your job,” added Queen.

Kaboly interpreted Queen’s comments as pointing to one player in particular as the biggest issue.

If Heyward, Queen and Elliott are referring to one player, it will be interesting if he’s revealed. Fans will also be curious to see how the coaching staff responds if the problem proves to be one player.

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So, the Steelers head coach began his Week 17 postgame press conference with a summary that many fans will likely use at their own holiday dinner tables.

“You know that sucked, to be blunt,” said Tomlin.

The Steelers started slowly again in Week 17, allowing the Chiefs to score 13 points in the first quarter. Tomlin’s team steadied themselves in the second quarter, but just like on December 21 versus the Baltimore Ravens, things fell apart for Pittsburgh during the fourth quarter.

“Not the type of ball that we want to play, and eerily similar to our last performance in that we aren’t doing the fundamental things well enough. We’re turning the ball over, we’re not getting turnovers. That hadn’t been a recipe for us, but it has been [as] of late.”

The Steelers have now lost three consecutive games to drop to 10-6. All three losses were by double digits.

Tomlin’s squad will fall out of first place in the AFC North if the Ravens defeat the Houston Texans on Christmas evening.

Mike Tomlin Answers Whether Steelers Have Regressed

Responding to media questions is never easy. It’s more difficult on a losing streak.

The Steelers have lost three in a row since starting the regular season 10-3.

Those three games took place in a span of 11 days against teams with a combined 37-9 record. That’s a tough stretch for any team. But the Steelers also never led in any of those games. That’s not a good sign that Tomlin’s team is a real Super Bowl contender.

If that’s the case, the question becomes whether the Steelers have been a pretender all along or if they are playing worse. Or it could be a little of both.

“You could say that if you so choose,” Tomlin said when asked if his team has regressed. “But I just tend to look at performances and what we’re doing and what we’re not doing.

“We’ve regressed in terms of our turnover culture. In terms of maintaining possession of the ball and getting the ball. We’ve been a plus group in most instances and that’s really been a catalyst for us.”

The Steelers entered Week 17 with a plus-17 turnover margin, which was ranked second-best in the NFL. But over the past two games, they have posted a minus-3 turnover differential.

Against the Chiefs, the Steelers turned the ball over twice and didn’t registered a takeaway.

Steelers Collapsing in December Again?

Tomlin made reference to the Chiefs loss being similar to the Week 16 defeat to the Ravens. But with the regular season about to close, the 2024 campaign for the Steelers is now beginning to mirror prior disappointing years under Tomlin.

Although the Steelers ended the 2023 season on a 3-game winning streak, they also suffered a 3-game losing streak in December last year. They lost three straight in December during the 2019 and 2020 seasons too.

In 2018, the Steelers lost their last game in November and then their first two contests in December.

While the schedule could be to blame for the 2024 December losing streak, again, the Steelers haven’t been competitive the past three weeks. In fact, opponents have outscored the Steelers by 50 points in the past three games.

As a result, the Steelers are in the midst of their first 3-game losing streak where each loss was by double digits since 1988.

Given those facts, it’s understandable why Tomlin gave the “blunt” summary of Week 17 that he did.

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The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo was among those relaying the news on December 24.

“[Wide receiver] George Pickens has no injury designation and is poised to return after missing three games,” DeFabo began, adding that “[safety] DeShon Elliott, [cornerback] Donte Jackson and [defensive lineman] Larry Ogunjobi will [also] be back” on the defensive side.

Unfortunately, there were two “out” designations: starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and wide receiver/special teamer Ben Skowronek.

Backup quarterback Justin Fields was also listed as “questionable,” officially.

Steelers Final Injury Designations Go as Expected vs. Chiefs

If you caught the Steelers’ injury update on Monday afternoon, none of these designations should really surprise you.

Pickens, Elliott, Jackson and Ogunjobi all logged full practices on December 23. Barring some sort of setback, all four appeared to be on track to return and now that has been confirmed.

On the flip side, Porter and Skowronek did not practice on Monday, and Pittsburgh had been pretty transparent about the fact that their star CB might not be available.

The one real question mark is Fields, who injured his abdomen on a slide in Week 15.

Last week, Fields was unable to go following the injury, so Kyle Allen backed up Russell Wilson instead. That could be the case again tomorrow after a very quick turnaround from Saturday evening to Wednesday afternoon.

Chiefs Could Be Without Chris Jones vs. Steelers

On the opposing sideline, the Chiefs have a few injuries of their own on the short week — the headliner being game-wrecking defensive lineman Chris Jones.

After missing the first two practices of the week, Jones logged a “limited” practice on December 24. He is officially “questionable” with a calf strain.

Along with Jones, Chiefs starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor is questionable with a knee strain — although the integral offensive lineman did put in limited practices all week and appears to have a better shot at playing than the superstar D-lineman.

Officially, Kansas City will be without starting nickelback Chamarri Conner (concussion) and veteran left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring). Both were ruled out on Christmas Eve.

Humphries has technically taken over the starting role for the Chiefs at left tackle when healthy, but he’s only played one game since joining the franchise. Over the past few weeks, starting left guard Joe Thuney has shifted over to LT in place of Humphries and he’s done a tremendous job filling the void.

From there, backup interior offensive lineman Mike Caliendo has done well starting at left guard.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is also still on the mend after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 15 — although he was not listed on the injury report. Mahomes will undoubtedly start on Christmas Day, but his ankle doesn’t appear to be 100 percent yet despite all of his hard work and determination getting himself back onto the field.

When looking at this slew of injuries from a Steelers perspective, Taylor’s status stands out being that T.J. Watt rushes the right tackle position. Like Mahomes, Watt is only one week removed from an ankle sprain, but he could have a bit of an advantage there if Taylor is either unavailable or playing compromised.

Jones’ status will also be key, of course, and Steelers slot specialists Pat Freiermuth and Calvin Austin could benefit from Conner being ruled out.

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“[Wide receiver] George Pickens was a full participant today,” The Athletic’s Steelers correspondent Mike DeFabo relayed on Monday afternoon. He added that this is “a very good sign for his availability on Christmas [Day].”

Along with Pickens, safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (groin) also logged full practices on December 23. The availability of those three will be key in getting the Steelers defense back on track after a rough outing in Baltimore.

On the flip side, DeFabo also noted that backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal) was still “limited” on Monday, while cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) did not practice. Unfortunately, DeFabo did report that the Steelers are “preparing for [Porter] to miss the game” on Wednesday.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: After DeFabo’s update on December 23, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac confirmed that “Pickens is expected to play against the Chiefs, pending one final health confirmation.”

Steelers’ George Pickens & DeShon Elliot Both Have ‘Real Chance’ to Play in Week 17 vs. Chiefs

Earlier in the day on December 23, ESPN Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor said the following on X, live from practice: “DeShon Elliott, who Mike Tomlin says has a ‘real chance to play’ along with Pickens and other guys who missed Ravens game, was moving around well in today’s practice.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter expressed a similar sentiment about Pickens on the Pat McAfee Show.

“It sounds like they will get some of those parts back, most notably George Pickens,” Schefter replied, after being asked about several Steelers injuries. “It sounds like they have a realistic sense that he has a chance to back there which would certainly help the offense.”

“Look, [the Steelers’] season [is] on the line here, division’s at stake,” the NFL insider added. “I think that they had — hopefully — that game in mind the entire time for Pickens to come back.”

Simply put, all signs are pointing to a Pickens and Elliott return against the Chiefs.

Steelers WR George Pickens Is Hopeful to Return vs. Chiefs, But Admits Doctors Have Yet to Clear Him

There was one smidgeon of doubt that was reported on December 23, regarding Pickens’ availability — and it came from the star wideout himself.

After speaking with Pickens, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo relayed the following conversation on X.

“George Pickens on playing Wednesday: ‘I hope so. It will depend on how I feel,’” Fittipaldo reported. Continuing: “Pickens indicated he hasn’t been cleared by doctors yet. ‘When you find out is when I’ll find out.’”

These Pickens quotes aren’t necessarily anything to get too concerned over, as doctors sometimes wait until just before a game to clear a player.

As of now, Pickens is going through the process of proving he’s healthy enough to suit up. A big part of that process involves logging a full practice, which the pass-catcher obviously did successfully on Monday.

Now he just has to keep trending in that positive direction with no setbacks. Hamstrings are one of the trickier injuries in football, and caution is typically recommended.

With that in mind, expect the Steelers to take their time and check every box when it comes to Pickens as we get closer and closer to Wednesday. But it goes without saying that things appear to be looking up.

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Against the Ravens on December 21, Wilson scrambled around and force throws more often than he had previously this season. Some of that worked. Wilson rushed for a season high 27 yards and completed a couple impressive third-down throws.

But he also committed 2 turnovers for the first time in nine starts with the Steelers.

The day after the game, though, Tomlin expressed confidence that Wilson will bounce back quickly.

“I expect him to respond. He’s been doing this a long time,” Tomlin said. “He’s tough on himself because he’s got a desire to be great. He wants to lead us to victory.

“He owns that, but I don’t expect it to be an issue in terms of his trajectory of his approach or readiness this week.”

Wilson scrambled for a 19-yard gain early in the second quarter. The run had the Steelers inside the Ravens 5-yard line, but Wilson fumbled at the end of the play.

Then during the fourth quarter, Wilson threw a pick-6 with the Steelers already trailing by 7 points.

Steelers’ Russell Wilson Critical of His Turnovers vs. Ravens

As Tomlin indicated, Wilson is tough on himself. That was evident when Wilson spoke to reporters immediately after the 17-point loss to the Ravens.

“I put that game on me in the sense of there are two great opportunities there,” he told the media.

“They made two plays on us that were significant plays. Unfortunately, I can’t let that happen.”

Wilson explained that he tried to cut back when he saw Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington was closing in near the 5-yard line. Steelers fans on social media during the game criticized Wilson for not sliding. After the game, the quarterback explained that he was trying to score.

That was one of the best examples of Wilson perhaps trying to do too much. In retrospect, Tomlin admitted that he also wished Wilson would have slid.

Or, Wilson could have simply braced himself better for the hit to avoid fumbling.

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers Lose Margin for Error in AFC North Race

For much of the second half of the season, the Steelers have had a 2-game lead in the AFC North. But with Tomlin’s team losing its past two games, the Steelers are now in a first place tie with the Ravens at 10-5.

The Steelers could have clinched the division with a win on December 21. Although they failed to deliver, they can still win the AFC North. The Steelers must beat the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals to accomplish that feat.

If they lose either game, they will need the Ravens to fall as well to secure the division title.

The Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot. But with the AFC North title, the Steelers would play at home in the first round of the postseason.

A home game is always an advantage in the playoffs. But it would give the Steelers a particular edge this season.

Pittsburgh’s defense has been a much better unit at Acrisure Stadium this season.

The Steelers will play the Chiefs and Bengals at Acrisure Stadium to end the regular season.

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The Steelers missed 20 tackles versus the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. They missed plenty more against the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup that could have given the Steelers the AFC North title.

But instead of capturing the division crown, the Steelers lost 34-17 to their archrival.

After the defeat, Tomlin made reporters know that he is aware his defense has experienced issues with tackling opposing players the past couple weeks.

“It’s concerning, certainly,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to be better.

To get back on track from a tackling perspective, Tomlin added that they have to get “back to the lab.”

With the Steelers defense struggling to tackle, Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for 162 yards. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Henry had seven runs of at least 10 yards, including a 44-yard gain in the second half.

The Steelers struggled to tackle on special teams as well. The Ravens recorded a 16-yard punt return in the first quarter to help set up their first touchdown.

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers Missing a Lot of Tackles

Pittsburgh’s defensive tackling concerns actually date back a few games prior to the team’s two-game losing streak. According to Steelers Depot, in Week 14 versus the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers missed 11 tackles. They also had 11 missed tackles in the Week 12 showdown versus the Browns.

The official missed tackle report from Week 16 has yet to be released as of the morning of December 22. But according to the FOX Sports broadcast, Henry forced at least 10 missed tackles on his own.

The missed tackles against the Ravens allowed Baltimore to control the game on the ground. Against the Eagles, Philadelphia converted 10 of 17 third-down attempts in part because of Steelers missed tackles.

With Pittsburgh’s defense struggling to bring down opposing players, the unit allowed 400 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2019.

Tomlin stressing the need to get back to the fundamentals in “the lab” is probably the best solution to the issue. But the Steelers don’t have much time for the lab before their next game.

The Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs three days after facing the Ravens.

Steelers Miss Safety DeShon Elliott

Without much time for practice, the best way for the Steelers to solve their tackling issues may simply be the return of their injured defenders.

In Week 16, the Steelers were missing three defensive starters, including safety DeShon Elliott. According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Elliott has been the best tackler on the Steelers defense this season.

The Steelers ruled out Elliott on December 19 because of a hamstring injury. However, he did practice in limited fashion during the team’s last practice session prior to Week 16.

Elliott returning on a short week will be difficult. But if he manages to dress, that will be a significant lift for the Steelers defense.

Cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi also didn’t play in Week 16. Then in the first half, fellow starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. exited with a knee injury.

Jackson and Ogunjobi were questionable entering the December 21 contest versus Baltimore.

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Queen “had strong words” for his unit, which gave up 400 offensive yards for the second consecutive game. Both of those contests were losses, as the Steelers have fallen to 10-5 and into a first place tie in the AFC North.

“Guys gotta take a long look in the mirror and get better,” Queen told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko. “If you’re supposed to be in a certain position, you gotta be in that [expletive] position.

“It’s that simple.”

The Steelers defense allowed 417 yards in the 34-17 loss to the Ravens. In Week 15, the Steelers yielded 401 yards to the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the first time since 2019 that the Steelers allowed 400 yards in back-to-back games.

Steelers Fall to Patrick Queen’s Former Team

Queen played the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, so the Week 16 contest likely held extra meaning to the inside linebacker.

The Steelers knocked off the Ravens in Pittsburgh during Week 11. Queen recorded 10 combined tackles and a forced fumble in that victory. Overall, the Steelers defense recorded 3 takeaways in the 18-16 win.

But with a chance to secure the AFC North title, the Steelers defense came up short on December 21.

For a second straight game, the unit’s tackling was subpar. But in Week 16, it was the Steelers run defense that was most porous.

Pittsburgh yielded 220 rushing yards to Derrick Henry and the Ravens. Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 3 touchdowns.

Against the Eagles, the Steelers allowed 270 passing yards.

Steelers Defense Dealing With Multiple Injuries

There’s one logical explanation for the subpar play from the Steelers defense the past two games — injuries.

The unit was missing three starters in Week 16 — safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. Elliott and Ogunjobi also missed the Eagles matchup.

In the first half against the Ravens, other starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. left with a knee injury. He tried to return during the third quarter and then was downgraded to out.

So, the Steelers played a majority of Week 16 with three-quarters of their starting secondary.

Head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed that impact against Henry and the Ravens ground game. But on two of Jackson’s touchdown passes, Ravens receivers were wide open due to communication issues from the Steelers secondary, perhaps caused by the usual depth defensive backs on the field.

Now is not the time for the Steelers to be dealing with a lot of injuries on defense. The team will play its third game in 11 days versus the Chiefs on Christmas Day.

After two straight losses, the Steelers must beat the Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18 to win the AFC North. The Steelers have clinched a playoff spot, but if they lose one of their last two games, then they will need the Ravens to lose a contest too to capture the division title.

If there’s any good news on the injury front, Jackson and Ogunjobi were both questionable ahead of Week 16, so they had a chance to play. Elliott also practiced in limited fashion on December 19.

Those players, and the rest of the Steelers, have three days to rest before hosting the Chiefs.

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“I put that game on me in the sense of there are two great opportunities there,” he told reporters.

The Steelers lost to the Ravens 34-17 in Week 16. Baltimore managed the largest margin of victory in the AFC North rivalry in more than seven years thanks in large part to two big turnovers from Wilson.

First, Pittsburgh’s veteran quarterback fumbled inside the Ravens 5-yard line during the first half. Then in the fourth quarter, Wilson threw an interception that defensive back Marlon Humphrey returned for a touchdown.

“I tried to cut back and just got hit. Right before I hit the ground, the ball came out,” Wilson told reporters. “Unacceptable. It can’t happen.”

“The interception just hurt us,” Wilson added. “Really, just two negative plays.

“I felt like I was seeing it well; I thought our guys made some really good plays. I thought guys were making great catches all night. Calvin, Pat, just different guys were catching the ball making plays. I thought the run game did a good job. I thought the O-line was battling. We knew it was going to be a tough fight throughout to the end.

“They made two plays on us that were significant plays. Unfortunately, I can’t let that happen.”

Russell Wilson Mistakes Costly in Loss to Ravens

Although the statistics might not show it, Wilson did a lot of good things in the loss to the Ravens. He showcased more mobility than he had all season, keeping plays alive and delivering balls on the run.

After the Ravens scored early to take a 7-0 lead, play-action passing ignited the Steelers offense late in the first quarter. Wilson tied the game with a touchdown pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt early in the second quarter.

Wilson orchestrated another strong Steelers drive on the next possession. On second-and-6 at the Ravens 23-yard line, Wilson saw a running lane in the middle of the field open for a significant gain.

But Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington closed quickly on Wilson as he passed the 10-yard line. Rather than sliding, Wilson absorbed Washington’s contact and coughed up the ball.

“I was going for it [the touchdown],” Wilson told reporters. “I’m not going to fear going for it.

“I’ve gotta watch it to see if I should have gone right or not. I tried to cut inside.”

Baltimore responded with a 96-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead on its next possession.

Wilson and the Steelers offense answered back eventually, tying the game again in the third quarter.

But while down 7 points again in the fourth, Wilson threw perhaps his worst pass of the season on another target to Pruitt. Humphrey intercepted the pass and gave the Ravens a 14-point lead with a defensive touchdown.

The Steelers didn’t score in the fourth quarter.

With a lost fumble and interception, Week 16 was Wilson’s first game with multiple giveaways this season.

Baltimore’s 17-point victory was the first time either the Ravens or Steelers won in this rivalry by at least 17 points since the Steelers defeated the Ravens 26-9 on October 1, 2017.

Wilson Calls on Steelers to Respond Against Chiefs

While Wilson was accountable for his mistakes in Week 16, he also delivered a message of confidence to his team through the media after the Ravens loss.

“There’s still football to be played. Listen, I think the reality is that we really have to respond in the right way after this one,” said Wilson.

“I don’t think there’s enough time to really, we play on Wednesday, I don’t think there’s enough time to sulk.”

Not only do the Steelers take the field again in four days after what might be the most physical game of the season, they will host the 14-1 Kansas City Chiefs. And because of the December 21 loss, the Steelers must win their final two games to guarantee themselves a home game in the postseason.

Whether the Steelers respond on December 25 remains to be seen. But Wilson was right about one thing — there’s no time to sulk.

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“We didn’t do what we needed to do to secure victory today, and so I congratulate the Ravens on their performance and the victory,” Tomlin began his postgame press conference, explaining: “Really specifically, we didn’t control the run game. We never did. And when you don’t, man, you got to do some splash plays or win the turnover battle in a significant way and we didn’t do that either.”

“You got to control the run, the line of scrimmage,” Tomlin reiterated later. “The turnover game is always significant in matchups like this. But we failed in both areas and when you do that, you should expect to lose.”

Say what you want about Coach Tomlin, but he rarely minces words. The message is as direct and clear as possible after the punishing performance from Ravens running back Derrick Henry.

It reads something like: That can’t happen, and we’ve got to fix it — immediately.

Derrick Henry & Ravens Outpace Steelers by Over 100 Rushing Yards in Week 16

Henry finished with 162 rushing yards off 24 carries, which averaged out to a staggering 6.8 yards per carry. On the flip side, the entire Steelers rushing attack only combined for 117 rushing yards in what ended up looking like a very lopsided result following a dominant fourth quarter by Baltimore.

And that’s before you factor in the additional rushing yardage tallied by quarterback Lamar Jackson, backup running backs Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali, wide receiver Zay Flowers and one lone yard from tight end Mark Andrews.

All told, the Ravens accumulated 220 yards on the ground versus the Steelers. That’s over 100 more than Pittsburgh, and it’s the reason Tomlin sent such a blunt message after the loss.

The Steelers defense holds itself to a much higher standard than this. They know it, Tomlin knows it, and they only have a few days to get things straightened out with the No. 1 ranked Kansas City Chiefs coming to town on Christmas Day.

Steelers Team Leader Cameron Heyward Echoes Mike Tomlin After Ravens Loss

Steelers defensive lineman and veteran team leader Cameron Heyward also addressed the media after Week 16. And he echoed Tomlin at the podium.

“Disappointed with the outcome today,” Heyward told reporters. “As a defense, we did not stop the run, and when you do that, you can’t really control the game.”

Heyward also highlighted missed tackles and “errors” as part of the reason for their struggles in Baltimore.

“We got to talk about it, coach it up, practice it,” he stated, regarding the missed tackle issue. Although, Heyward also admitted that there’s “not a lot of time” to practice something like that at this point in the season, especially with the Chiefs matchup looming in exactly four days’ time.

“We have to own what we did,” Heyward went on. “That’s the only way you get better through this. And it starts up front. D-line, we didn’t get our job done today.”

As a whole, Heyward also felt that the Steelers did not carry out the gameplan in the way that they planned to ahead of time.

“The recipe we had tonight was not conducive to winning this game,” the veteran concluded later. “I talked about not stopping the run, not playing complementary football, not controlling the sudden change. I thought a couple of times we had longer fields as a defense, and we didn’t get off [the field] in time. It just doesn’t allow our team to play well.”

Pittsburgh will likely try and shake this loss off quickly as they begin prep work for Kansas City starting tomorrow.

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However, the exception to that rule is if the player is placed on waivers. That’s exactly what happened with Johnson on December 20.

The Baltimore Ravens announced, ironically, the day prior to facing the Steelers that they have waived Johnson.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on December 21 that Johnson is likely to be claimed before clearing waivers. Schefter also named the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs as the front runners for the veteran wideout.

But that didn’t stop Pittsburgh pundits and fans on social media from discussing a potential Johnson-Steelers reunion, which is now permitted under league rules.

Quite a few Steelers podcasters pushed for the team to claim or re-sign Johnson.

“I know the fanbase is torn on this one. And nobody wanted him outta Pittsburgh more than me after all the crybaby stuff,” wrote Barstool Sports’ Kevin Adams on X (formerly Twitter). “Lack of effort. Pouting.. but man.. remember how good he was when the QB play was good with Ben? Imagine Russ..

“I’m just sayinnn.

“Would.”

“I’d sign him to a deal thru the end of the season,” tweeted Pittsburgh sports personality Chris Mascaro. “Install him as the WR2 and move Williams to the slot and see how it goes.”

“If you don’t think we should re-sign Diontae Johnson … I don’t what to tell you,” wrote a Steelers fan.

However, some Steelers fans were against the idea of bringing back Johnson.

Could Diontae Johnson Return to Steelers?

Johnson’s 2024 NFL year has been a rather remarkable journey. The Steelers traded the receiver to the Carolina Panthers with one year remaining on his contract early in free agency.

With the move, the Steelers avoided paying him $3 million that he would have received for being on the team’s roster at the beginning of the league year.

In return, the Steelers received starting cornerback Dontae Jackson, who has a career high 5 interceptions.

Johnson started slowly with the Panthers. But after the team switched to veteran signal caller Andy Dalton, Johnson posted three games with at least 78 receiving yards.

Because of his expiring contract, the Panthers dealt Johnson to the Ravens at the NFL trade deadline. But Johnson’s stint in Baltimore was rather unremarkable. In four games, he received just 5 targets and caught 1 pass for 6 yards.

The Ravens suspended Johnson after refusing to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 matchup. He didn’t dress for the Ravens again. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted that the way his tenure in Baltimore ended, Johnson cost himself a lot of money.

“No other way around it: Diontae Johnson lit millions on fire,” Fowler wrote. “Was set to be a top-25 free agent before the issues in Baltimore.”

While Johnson never served a team suspension in Pittsburgh, he was involved in a lot of different controversies early in his career. That’s part of why the Steelers traded him in March, and that’s the reason a lot of fans are hesitant to want him back.

But with George Pickens set to be sidelined again versus the Ravens in Week 16, there’s no denying the Steelers could use Johnson’s talent on the field.

“Both sides needed a fresh start in the offseason,” Steelers Now’s Derrick Bell wrote. “That was understandable regardless of the decisions that followed.

“But it’s also obvious that each party is pretty desperate right now.”

Did the Ravens Delay Waiving Johnson?

The Ravens suspended Johnson on December 4. He never dressed for another game in Baltimore after that.

But the Ravens didn’t waive him for another 16 days. Could that have been because Baltimore was trying to avoid having to face him against the Steelers on December 21?

Some Pittsburgh fans shared that theory on social media.

“I wonder if the Ravens waited an extra week to waive him just so he couldn’t latch on with Pittsburgh before this matchup,” one X user wrote.

Two weeks ago, Pickens was healthy. So Pittsburgh didn’t have a dire need at receiver when the Ravens suspended Johnson.

But it’s still possible Baltimore didn’t want to give the Steelers a chance to re-acquire Johnson before their Week 16 showdown.

The Steelers and Ravens, though, could meet in the postseason. Johnson would be able to play in that matchup if Pittsburgh re-acquires the wideout.

On December 21, the Steelers will have Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams and Scotty Miller available to help overcome the loss of Pickens against Baltimore.

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That, along with the chance to clinch the AFC North title, should be more than enough to have Queen ready to play the Week 16 matchup. But Ravens long snapper Nick Moore, who made second-team All-Pro in 2022, added even more spice to the showdown.

While appearing on The Ryan Ripken Show on December 19, Moore hyped the Baltimore offense line and challenged Queen to stop the Ravens rushing attack with former All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.

“We’ve got one of the best centers in the game. We’ve got one of the best left tackles in the game. We have a very dominant offensive line,” Moore said during his guest appearance. “These guys are going to be looking to set the tone for our team, and they’re going to do that by moving people out of the way.

“Getting [Derrick Henry] the ball and letting him get downhill, and then we’re going to find out who’s the mane. How big a boy is PQ when it’s 22 and 6?”

The No. 22 and 6 Moore referred to was Henry and Queen, respectively.

Henry has been a handful for most teams this season. He has rushed for 1,474 yards and is averaging 105.3 rushing yards per contest this season.

Bad Blood Between Patrick Queen, Ravens

One game apparently wasn’t enough to clear the air between Queen and the Ravens. The 25-year-old jettisoned Baltimore this offseason to sign a 3-year, $41 million contract with the team’s biggest rival. The deal was the biggest for a free agent in Steelers history.

Since leaving, a lot of words have been exchanged between Queen and various Ravens players. One offseason comment from Queen even got a little personal, as he said the Steelers had a “better atmosphere” for him and implied he fit in better with Pittsburgh than Baltimore because he likes “meat and stuff” as opposed to seafood.

Whether that was the cause or not, the Steelers and Ravens played a very spirited rivalry game on November 17. The two teams combined for 19 accepted penalties in the contest. The Steelers prevailed in the showdown with an 18-16 victory.

The Week 16 rematch could be even more heated, especially after Moore emphasized how much the Ravens want to establish being the bully in the game. With a victory, the Steelers can clinch the AFC North.

Should the Ravens win, Baltimore will pull even with Pittsburgh at 10-5 with two weeks remaining in the season.

Queen, Steelers Held Derrick Henry in Check During Week 11

While Moore challenged Queen during his podcast appearance, one could very easily view his comments as equally challenging his own offensive line. Moore may have felt compelled to do that after the Steelers were the more physical team in the first rivalry matchup this year.

In Week 11, the Steelers forced 3 takeaways and held Henry to only 65 rushing yards. While Henry averaged 5 yards per carry, the 65 rushing yards were his fewest in a game since the season opener.

The Ravens will likely need to establish Henry and get him the ball more than 13 times on December 21 to win the rematch. Queen and the Steelers defense will obviously be aiming to prevent that from happening.

The Steelers will enter the matchup ranked fourth in rushing yards allowed per game. Queen has posted 109 combined tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, 5 pass defenses and 1 forced fumble this season.

His forced fumble came in Week 11 versus the Ravens. Queen also had 10 tackles in his first matchup against the team that drafted him.

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“For the Steelers: WR George Pickens and QB Justin Fields have both been ruled out against the [Baltimore] Ravens,” Rapoport relayed. “But… T.J. Watt has no injury designation and is good to go.”

Watt has been trending toward toughing it out all week long, even after his brother J.J. Watt spoke candidly about a couple of potential concerns. Now, officially, it appears he’ll do so — even though the star pass rusher was unwilling to confirm his injury status on Thursday afternoon.

“We’ll have to wait and see how it feels on Saturday, but I feel pretty good right now,” Watt told reporters on December 19. He also noted that he didn’t have too many limitations at practice this week but acknowledged that the Steelers didn’t do anything too intense either with it being a short week.

When asked about the potential of a limited snap count in Week 16, Watt expressed that he’d like to be on the field “as much as [he] possibly can.” It sounds like it’s all systems go for Watt against the Ravens.

As for Pickens, the “out” designation is somewhat disappointing following the trending workout video of the wideout on December 17. Hamstring injuries are tricky, and it seems the Steelers will continue to take things slowly with Pickens, prioritizing the playoff run.

He’ll have a chance to suit up on Christmas Day versus the Kansas City Chiefs — although that’s an even shorter week than this one.

Finally, with Fields officially “out” with an abdominal injury, third-string QB Kyle Allen will once again take over the backup duties. This time, he’ll be behind Russell Wilson rather than Fields earlier in the year.

Ravens Injury Update: Baltimore Could Be Down WRs But Diontae Johnson Still Won’t Play

On the other side of the coin, the Ravens are a bit banged up at wide receiver. Despite that fact, ex-Steelers starter Diontae Johnson has already been ruled out and is currently away from the team — which was “mutually agreed” upon according to the organization.

“Ravens WRs Rashod Bateman (foot) and Nelson Agholor (concussion) are questionable for Saturday’s game against Steelers,” The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec relayed on December 19.

He also noted that “OLB Odafe Oweh (ankle) and G Daniel Faalele (ankle) are also questionable. [And that] CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) and WR Diontae Johnson (NIR) are out.”

If Bateman and Agholor are unable to play on Saturday, the Ravens pass-catching corps would consist of Zay Flowers, Tylan Wallace, rookie Devontez Walker, third down running back Justice Hill and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely — as well as any potential practice squad elevations that are promoted before kickoff.

Steelers Have Dominated Ravens in Recent Seasons

It’s no secret around Pittsburgh that the Steelers have had the Ravens’ number in recent seasons. In Week 16, they’ll have to win on the road if they’re going to keep that hot streak going.

Spanning back to the start of the 2020 season, the Steelers have won eight out of nine matchups against Baltimore — and the lone loss was in Pittsburgh in December of 2022.

That means the Steelers have defeated the Ravens each of the past four times that the two rivals have met in Baltimore.

Of course, that should make Lamar Jackson and the Ravens more motivated than ever on Saturday, setting the stage for another difficult test for head coach Mike Tomlin and his team.

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But Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin hasn’t lost any confidence in him.

“Sometimes in this league, you’re going to lose some. Sometimes, you’re going to win some. I know about him that he’s out and coming back to battle,” Austin told reporters on December 18. “He doesn’t lose confidence.

“I think, in the long run — he’s going to be fine, and I don’t worry about Joey [Porter Jr.] at all.”

Porter came on strongly as a rookie last season and finished with a 64.3 Pro Football Focus player grade. In coverage, he posted a 66.6 PFF grade.

But this season, he owns a PFF grade of 53, including 53.9 in coverage. Among cornerbacks who have played at least 50% of his team’s defensive snaps in 2024, he’s bottom 10 in both categories.

Joey Porter Jr.’s Inconsistent 2nd NFL Season

Austin’s description about how NFL players go through extreme highs and lows is pretty accurate for Porter. According to the PFF player grades, he’s played well in more than a handful of games this season. Porter has earned a 68.7 PFF grade or better in five contests.

But he’s also played poorly in some contests. He’s registered a grade below 47 six times.

It’s important to note that PFF player grades aren’t the end all, be all. It’s still an indication, though, that Porter needs to develop more consistency.

Penalties are an indication of that too. Porter is second among NFL cornerbacks this season with 10 accepted fouls. Nine of those 10 penalties came in two games.

Including declined fouls, Porter committed six penalties against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.

Porter’s Recent Run of Facing Elite WRs

The wideouts Porter has faced can probably explain some of Porter’s inconsistencies this season. Austin pointed to that while speaking to reporters on December 18.

“He’s played [Ja’Marr] Chase and A.J. [Brown] and Tee Higgins and DeVonta [Smith], so that’s a pretty good quartet of receivers right there,” said Austin.

Porter has covered those receivers over the past three weeks. Again, he particularly struggled against the Bengals, posting his worst PFF player grade of the season.

He did better in coverage, according to PFF, versus Brown and Smith, but like a lot of Steelers defenders, Porter didn’t tackle well versus the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s great to hear Austin still has a lot of confidence in Porter’s long-term development. At the end of the day, that’s what’s most important.

But to make a deep playoff run this season, the Steelers need their defense playing at an elite level. For that to happen, Porter will have to be consistently above average.

And, he will have to do that against the top quarterbacks of the AFC — Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

Fortunately, one of Porter’s best games in the first 15 weeks of the season was against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers would love Porter to repeat that performance a few times during the stretch run.

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Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine believes that the Indianapolis Colts could be the “perfect” fit for both Fields and the AFC South franchise.

“The Colts would be foolish to give up on Anthony Richardson any time soon,” Ballentine first acknowledged on December 16. “He’s still going to have his downturns and regressions, but he was always projected to be something of a long-term project.”

“However, the Colts need to bring in a backup that has a similar skill set so the offense doesn’t have to change if he gets injured,” the NFL analyst went on. Adding that “Justin Fields would be the perfect target.”

“Fields might be settling into the career backup role after excelling at the job in Pittsburgh,” Ballentine explained. “He’s athletic enough to run all of the quarterback run game that the Colts feature with Richardson and a good enough passer to get by.”

Steelers’ Justin Fields Seen in a Similar Light as Vikings QB Sam Darnold in 2024

Fields won’t necessarily be guaranteed a starting gig in 2025, but many have projected that he could land a sort of bridge contract similar to Sam Darnold last offseason.

“Fields and [Jameis] Winston could fit into the bridge quarterback tier that makes roughly $10 million,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noted on December 19.

It’s no coincidence that Duggan estimated the exact figure that the Minnesota Vikings paid Darnold in 2024. A former first-round QB, similar to Fields, Darnold was initially brought in to serve as a bridge starter for a rookie quarterback.

The Vikings later traded up to select J.J. McCarthy in round one of the NFL draft, and the expectation was that McCarthy would take over as the starter at some point this year. Unfortunately, the rookie suffered a knee injury during the preseason that required surgery.

And with the McCarthy sidelined, Darnold has thrived.

Fields might look for a similar type of situation this spring, either with a franchise expected to draft a quarterback — like the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders — or a more unsettled QB room with an unproven prospect that’s struggling to hold onto his starting job.

The Colts would fit the latter description, as Ballentine pointed out, and Fields could make a lot of sense as an insurance policy for Richardson should he falter again in 2025.

Steelers Already Have Justin Fields Replacement on the Roster Behind Russell Wilson

According to most beat reporters covering the team, the Steelers are expected to extend Wilson following the 2024 campaign — barring injury. Having said that, Pittsburgh must also take care of their backup quarterback situation.

With Fields most likely pricing out elsewhere in free agency, the Steelers would be wise to re-sign third-string QB Kyle Allen after the season.

The veteran signal-caller is already very familiar with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system, and he’s proven that he can be a serviceable backup when called upon in 2024. Plus, he should be a lot less expensive than Fields.

Allen only received $167,500 from the Steelers in guaranteed money in 2024, per Over the Cap. The full value of his one-year deal is slightly north of $1.29 million.

A career journeyman, Allen has also never made more than $2.5 million per season throughout his time in the NFL. Surely, the Steelers would have to give him a minor raise from the third-string contract he received in 2024, but $2 to $3 million should get it done — if not less.

Pittsburgh would then open the 2025 campaign with a stable QB room led by Wilson and Allen.

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But there was still one lesson that Wilson wanted his teammates to learn from the 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. He delivered that lesson in a message through the media.

“I think the most important thing coming out of it though is we’ve got to give ourselves the best chance to win,” Wilson told reporters, via 93.7 The Fan. “Putting ourselves, when we get in good situations, go capitalize on them.”

The Steelers weren’t able to do that against the Eagles. In the first quarter, the Steelers recovered two fumbles, but the two takeaways led to only a field goal.

During the second half, the Steelers were driving in Philadelphia territory with the opportunity to tie the game with a touchdown. But running back Najee Harris dropped a pitch, which the Eagles recovered. On the ensuing possession, Philadelphia extended its lead to 14 points.

Russell Wilson, Steelers Looking Ahead to Ravens Matchup

The Steelers began the most difficult stretch of their schedule on December 15 against the 12-2 Eagles. They will again be on the road on a short week, facing the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens on December 21.

Then, the Steelers will host the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs four days later on Christmas.

With those three Super Bowl contending opponents in 11 days, Wilson noted that the Steelers don’t have a lot of time to reflect on their mistakes. Perhaps that is a good thing.

The Steelers made uncustomary errors in Philadelphia, a place where they haven’t won since 1965. Instead of dwelling on those mistakes, though, the Steelers appear focused on repeating their November success against the Ravens.

Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore 18-16 on November 17.

Before Week 15, Wilson owned a 5-0 career record against the Eagles. But even Wilson couldn’t stop Pittsburgh’s losing streak in Eastern Pennsylvania. The Steelers have now lost 11 in a row in Philadelphia.

Steelers’ Recent Success vs. Baltimore

While history repeating itself was frustrating for the Steelers in Week 15, the team would be just fine with that happening on December 21. That’s because the Steelers have had far more success in Baltimore than Philadelphia.

The Steelers-Ravens rivalry is one of the best in the NFL. But recently, it’s been lopsided in Pittsburgh’s favor.

The Steelers have won eight of nine against the Ravens, including the last four matchups in Baltimore.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is 2-5 in his career versus the Steelers. In those seven games, Jackson has thrown 5 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The only other NFL team he owns a losing record against after facing them at least five times is the Chiefs.

But it’s not like Jackson hasn’t been close versus Pittsburgh. In fact, the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is almost always close. The two teams have played 12 consecutive 1-score games, dating back to September 30, 2018.

That history, though, won’t mean anything when the Steelers take the field in Baltimore on December 21. It will be up to the team following Wilson’s message and capitalizing on their good situations.

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Watt’s older brother, three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, joined the Pat McAfee Show to give his assessment of the ankle injury on December 18 — and the retired superstar spoke candidly.

“Yeah, we got a low ankle sprain there, X-rays negative,” J.J. Watt confirmed, continuing: “It’s one of those things [where] you just roll it really hard and it’s very painful, very tough to utilize because you’re a pass rusher on the edge, turning the corner on that ankle specifically — putting an insane amount of pressure into it.”

“So, when you add that with the fact that they’re playing the three games in 11 days or whatever it is, very difficult,” J.J. Watt went on, “but he is walking around better and feeling better than I think you would initially think.”

The older of the two brothers concluded that he knows T.J. Watt is a “competitor” who will do whatever it takes to get back onto the field, but did reiterate that “there’s no question that the three games in 11 days is; A, nuts, and B, very difficult for a situation like this.”

T.J. Watt Headlined Long List of ‘DNPs’ During Steelers’ First Practice of Week 16

We’ll have to wait a few more hours to see who practices on December 18, but the first day of Week 16 practices on December 17 yielded several “DNPs” — or players that “did not practice” due to rest or injury.

According to the Steelers’ official injury report, T.J. Watt (ankle) was among them. The key edge rusher was one of seven DNPs on Tuesday, along with defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (groin) logging a limited practice.

The other nonparticipants were backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal), star wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring), safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and veteran rest days for linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.

Obviously, there’s nothing to worry about for the two latter names on the list, but the status of Watt, Pickens, Elliott and Jackson will certainly be important and worth monitoring throughout the week.

Pickens excited the fanbase on December 17 after video emerged of the Steelers playmaker flying through drills with speed and precision. While Elliott was seen getting some work in on December 18, via Penn Live beat reporter Nick Farabaugh.

As for Jackson, the veteran cornerback is dealing with a “pinched nerve” in his back.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Was ‘Optimistic’ About T.J. Watt’s Availability at the Start of Week 16

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that he has confidence that Watt will battle his way through this ankle injury on December 16.

“We’ve gotten quality production from our edge people regardless of who’s in the game, and I expect that to continue,” Tomlin said on Monday of Week 16. “But I’m also optimistic about the availability of T.J. based on what I’ve seen today.”

Tomlin also noted that he “just saw [Watt] walking around rather comfortably” before his Monday press conference. But did confirm that Watt is “questionable with his ankle.” Adding: “We’ll see where the roads lead us.”

Of course, after hearing J.J. Watt’s assessment, it appears that even if T.J. Watt does suit up on Saturday, he may not be 100%. That’s a scary thought when up against the speed and agility of Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.

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Pickens performed an individual workout at Steelers practice on December 17 according to multiple reporters. The workout Pickens went through left a lot of those reporters, including Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, in awe.

“This is what a Grade 2 hamstring strain looks like from an athletic freak,” wrote Kaboly on X (formerly Twitter).

Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders wrote on X that Pickens returned to some applause from his fellow Pittsburgh receivers.

“Steelers wide receiver George Pickens back at practice today, returning to some applause from Scotty Miller,” wrote Saunders.

PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh took it as a significant positive that Pickens was back on the field.

“Now here’s a good sign on Tuesday … George Pickens getting some work in,” wrote Farabaugh.

According to the Steelers official injury report, Pickens didn’t practice on December 17. But most of the team’s injured players didn’t officially participate in Tuesday’s practice just a day after head coach Mike Tomlin expressed an optimistic injury update.

It’s important to note too that Tuesday’s session was just a walkthrough for the Steelers anyway.

Steelers George Pickens Aiming to Return vs. Baltimore Ravens

Without Pickens in Week 15 versus the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers only mustered 107 passing yards. That was a season low.

Pickens has missed the past two contests, and the Steelers failed to reach 150 passing yards in both games. Previously, 172 passing yards was Pittsburgh’s lowest total in a game where Russell Wilson started.

Clearly, the Steelers miss Pickens, who leads the team with 55 catches and 850 receiving yards. He has nearly twice as many receptions and 400 more yards than any other Steelers wideout this year.

The Baltimore Ravens are ranked second-to-last in passing defense this season. But that low ranking is due in large part to the first half of the season. Baltimore’s pass defense has been a lot better over the past month.

On November 17, the Ravens held the Steelers to 181 passing yards with Pickens on the field. Pittsburgh desperately needs Pickens to return in Week 16 to have the best chance of securing the AFC North title with a win.

T.J. Watt Also Sidelined at Tuesday Practice

The only player on Pittsburgh’s Week 16 injury report who practiced — in limited fashion — was defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. Edge rusher T.J. Watt, cornerback Donte Jackson and quarterback Justin Fields all left Week 15 with injuries and didn’t participate in the team’s first practice this week.

Safety DeShon Elliott, who missed the game like Pickens did, didn’t practice either.

But again, they only missed a walkthrough. On December 16, Tomlin wouldn’t rule out any of those players for the Ravens matchup.

Tomlin told reporters that Watt walking around on December 16 left him encouraged. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen expressed the same idea to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on December 17.

Queen also conveyed confidence in the Steelers edge rushing depth.

“Would I love TJ out there? Hell, yeah, who wouldn’t? But we got guys,” Queen told Pryor. “Whoever goes in the game, we got the most confidence in to go out there and get the job done.”

The Steelers have four players with at least 4.5 sacks. But Watt leads the team with 11.5 sacks and 27 quarterback hits. He also has a league-high 18 tackles for loss.

Pittsburgh can clinch its first AFC North title since 2020 with a victory against Baltimore. With those stakes, one has to imagine every player who can dress will on December 21.

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“It was definitely a little weird,” Pickett told PennLive’s Johnny McGonigal. “But life goes on. I’m enjoying it here.

“Got a bunch of family close by, so it’s been good.”

Pickett began his career with the Steelers after playing college football with the Pitt Panthers. The Steelers drafted Pickett at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL draft. He started 24 games for the Steelers, posting a 14-10 record.

But after the team signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson this past offseason, Pickett requested to be traded. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on March 18 Pickett felt head coach Tomlin “misled” him when Tomlin told him the team would have an open competition for the starting quarterback role.

Breer wrote that the Steelers planned to have Wilson practice with the first-team offense at OTAs. Tomlin was set on having an open competition after that.

The Steelers sent Pickett to the Eagles along with the No. 120 overall pick in 2024 for the No. 98 selection this past spring and two 2025 seventh-round picks.

Kenny Pickett Reunites With Ex-Steelers Teammates, Coaches

While Pickett didn’t receive the chance to play versus the Steelers, he did get the opportunity to talk to his former teammates and coaches before the game.

“It was great,” Pickett said of the reunion. “They obviously have a great team. We’ve got a pretty good team, as well. So it was a good battle. I’m sure both teams will be playing in the postseason.”

McGonigal wrote that Pickett spoke to Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin III, Chris Boswell and Christian Kunitz. Among the coaching staff, Pickett was seen chatting with Tomlin and senior offensive assistant Mike Sullivan.

Both the Steelers and Eagles clinched playoff spots on December 15. The Steelers accomplished that feat because the Indianapolis Colts lost.

If the Steelers and Eagles each win during Week 16, they will lock up their respective division titles.

Pickett Backing Up Eagles Starting QB Jalen Hurts

The Eagles largely dominated the Steelers, winning the yardage battle 401-163. Philadelphia won by 14 on the scoreboard 27-13.

But the Eagles weren’t ahead by enough for Pickett to enter the game for starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Pickett hasn’t played much for Philadelphia this season. He’s appeared in three games, and the Eagles were ahead by at least 17 points when he received his playing time.

Pickett last played on November 24. His last pass attempt came on November 10.

In his three games, Pickett has completed 1 of 3 passes for 5 yards.

Had he stayed with the Steelers, Pickett could have started the first six games of the season when Wilson was sidelined with a calf injury. Instead, Justin Fields started those games. The Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears after trading Pickett to the Eagles.

In 25 games for the Steelers, Pickett completed 62.6% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He averaged 6.3 yards per attempt.

Of Pickett’s 14 victories with Pittsburgh, six of them were fourth-quarter comebacks. He also had seven game-winning drives with the Steelers.

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The Steelers previously released Leglue on November 12. He was with the team for about the first two and a half months of the regular season. Leglue spent most of that time on the Pittsburgh practice squad.

He also had stints with the Steelers during parts of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. Leglue appeared in six games for Pittsburgh during 2021, making five starts.

To make room for the veteran offensive lineman, the Steelers released edge rusher Ade Ogundeji. He has been on and off the Steelers practice squad throughout the 2024 season.

Steelers Sign Offensive Lineman John Leglue

With Leglue, the Steelers are adding versatile offensive lineman depth that is familiar with their organization.

During 2021, Leglue started five games for the Steelers at left guard. He also started the team’s playoff game in January 2022 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Leglue performed best in pass blocking.

Most recently, Leglue was a practice squad elevation in Week 3 for Pittsburgh.

He began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Denver Broncos in 2019. He spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers during his rookie campaign as well.

Leglue made his NFL regular season debut with the Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 of 2021. Ironically, the Steelers will face the Ravens in Leglue’s first game back with Pittsburgh on December 21.

Over the past two seasons, Leglue also had brief experiences with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.

Steelers Depart With Ade Ogundeji

The Steelers sacrificed depth at edge rusher to add Leglue to the practice squad again.

Ogundeji has dressed in three games for Pittsburgh this season. In those contests, he played 25 defensive snaps and 6 snaps on special teams.

He last appeared in a game this year during Week 8 against the New York Giants.

The Falcons selected Ogundeji in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He posted 3 sacks with 8 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits in 32 games with Atlanta from 2021-22.

Atlanta released Ogundeji on May 16. He has bounced between the Steelers practice squad, the team’s active roster and waivers since August 30.

Even without Ogundeji, the Steelers have other edge rushers on their practice squad. But Ogundeji was the most proven option on the squad before his release.

The Steelers considering the veteran edge rusher expendable might be a sign that All-Pro T.J. Watt will be able to play in Week 16. Watt left the team’s December 15 matchup because of an ankle injury, and he only has five days of rest before Pittsburgh’s next contest.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed a positive outlook on Watt’s health while speaking to reporters on December 16.

“I’m also optimistic about the availability of T.J. based on what I’ve seen today,” Tomlin told reporters.

The Steelers also have Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Preston Smith at edge rusher on their active roster.

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“Never said it was going to be easy … But it’ll be worth it,” Wilson posted on his Instagram story on December 16, the day after Pittsburgh was defeated by Philadelphia. Steelers Depot also shared this message with fans on X.

It included a photo of Wilson leading his team out of the visitor’s locker room in the direction of the field.

Wilson did display some tough love during his postgame press conference, urging his team to clean up their game going forward, but this half-glass-full version of the Steelers’ QB1 is much more reflective of who he’s been as a leader all year long.

With Wilson under center, this franchise and fanbase have both experienced a newfound sense of hope. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone has believed in the Steelers along the way, but Pittsburgh has also overcome those naysayers at almost every turn.

The Eagles were a strong test, no doubt about it. And if the Steelers do make it to the Super Bowl, they could end up getting an all-Pennsylvania rematch in the process.

Having said that, one loss does not define a season. Wilson knows that. Head coach Mike Tomlin knows that. And now it’s up to this team to prove that to be true.

Steelers Shift Focus to Lamar Jackson & Ravens Rematch With AFC North on the Line

The only silver lining about a short week is that the organization can move on quickly following a loss. The Steelers technically have a shorter week than normal in Week 16, as they’re scheduled to play on Saturday, December 21.

That matchup, of course, is a rematch with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Needless to say, with the Ravens just one game back in the standings, this head-to-head will be massive in deciding this year’s winner of the AFC North. The Steelers are currently 1-0 versus Baltimore on the season, but a Ravens win would even things out in terms of both overall record and head-to-head tiebreaker.

“They can’t win the Super Bowl,” former NFL offensive lineman turned analyst Mark Schlereth voiced on FOX Sports One’s “Breakfast Ball” on December 16. Adding: “I’ll take it a step further. I don’t think they can win their division.”

Clearly, faith in the Steelers’ legitimacy is being tested. An AFC North-clinching victory over the Ravens would go a long way in stamping their championship contender status ahead of the playoffs.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Says Ravens Have Undergone Defensive Transformation in Recent Weeks

The Ravens are riding high off of an easy win over the 2-12 New York Giants. Before that and their Week 14 bye, they lost to the same Eagles team that just bested the Steelers.

Having said that, Baltimore’s defense has gotten better as the season has gone along. Over their past four outings spanning back to Week 11 against the Steelers, they’ve held the opposition under 25 points.

Tomlin referred to this recent run of success as a defensive transformation, and he appears to be very aware of the Ravens’ recent strides on this side of the football.

“The last time we played these guys; they brought on Dean Pees as a senior advisor, if you will, a few weeks prior to our game and I was wondering what that impact might mean,” Tomlin noted on December 16. “Looking at the tape since the last time we played them I see exactly what it means.”

He went on to state that the new Ravens defense reminds him a lot more of “Dean Pees football” now, and Tomlin highlighted the fact that their secondary has made major strides since his arrival.

Tomlin called Pees and his schematic influence a “significant component” of this defensive transformation. Which presents another difficult test for Wilson and the Steelers offense in Week 16.

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If there’s any good news, though, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave an overall positive update on Watt’s health status when he spoke to reporters on December 16.

“I just saw him walking around rather comfortably,” Tomlin told the media. “He’s questionable with his ankle. We’ll see where the roads lead us.”

The Steelers head coach added that Watt, along with all of Pittsburgh’s banged up players, will likely be limited in practice early in the week. But Tomlin gave all of them a chance to play versus the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16.

Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North with a victory against the Ravens in Baltimore on December 21.

Mike Tomlin ‘Optimistic’ T.J. Watt Will Play vs. Ravens

Steelers Nation collectively held their breath when Watt went down because of a lower-body issue late versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Watt was engaged with an Eagles blocker when the injury occurred, but nothing made contact with his ankle.

Immediately after the game, Tomlin “described” Watt’s injury as “low ankle.” The edge rusher was obviously in pain when the injury occurred. But Watt told reporters after the contest X-rays were negative and that he “rolled” his ankle.

Because of Pittsburgh’s condensed schedule, Watt will only have five days of rest before the Steelers’ next game. It’s possible that even if Watt can play, the Steelers will lean more heavily on their edge rushing depth against MVP candidate Lamar Jackson.

But Pittsburgh has some of the best edge rushing depth in the NFL. Along with Watt, the Steelers have Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Preston Smith to rush the passer on the outside.

The Steelers added Smith to the group at the trade deadline.

“The addition of Preston has been significant for us,” Tomlin told reporters on December 16. “He’s a veteran. He knows what to do. He’s highly skilled. He’s done a nice job of fitting in.

“We’ve gotten quality production from our edge people regardless of who’s in the game, and I expect that to continue.

“But I’m also optimistic about the availability of T.J. based on what I’ve seen today.”

Tomlin Doesn’t Rule Out Any Injured Steelers Players

In addition to Watt, Tomlin addressed five other injured Steelers in front of reporters on December 16. Three of them — wide receiver George Pickens, safety DeShon Elliott and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi — didn’t play in Week 15. Two others left the Eagles matchup as Watt did — cornerback Donte Jackson and quarterback Justin Fields.

All of them, though, could play in Week 16.

“None of these six guys can be characterized as out,” said Tomlin.

Getting back Elliott and Jackson would be key for Pittsburgh’s secondary, which allowed 270 passing yards against the Eagles. Both receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith surpassed the 100-yard mark.

Ogunjobi would also be an important addition for the Steelers defensive front, which will have the responsibility of stopping both Jackson and running back Derrick Henry in Week 16.

Offensively, it will be a huge boost if Pickens can return. Without him in Week 15, the Steelers posted season-lows of 107 passing yards and 56 rushing yards.

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Well, the Steelers were four yards away until the officials called two personal foul penalties against Pittsburgh rather than offsetting fouls during a post-play shoving match.

When asked if the officials provided him with an explanation as to why the Steelers, and not the Eagles, were penalized in the scrum, head coach Mike Tomlin kept his response very brief.

“Not a sufficient one,” he told reporters.

Steelers tight end Darnell Washington literally blocked Eagles cornerback Darius Slay into the first row of the stadium. Officials called Washington for unnecessary roughness on the play.

Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III also received an unnecessary roughness penalty for running into the crowd of players pushing and shoving behind the end zone.

What the officials missed, though, was the Eagles weren’t just pushing and shoving. Video captured Slay throwing a punch at Washington after he couldn’t stop Washington from pushing him nearly into the stands.

Referee Alan Eck told the media after the game that, “No pushes were observed on the field (by the Eagles),” via Steelers insider Mark Kaboly. “There was no video evidence of punches observed by the Philadelphia Eagles.”

Mike Tomlin Frustrated Eagles Throw Multiple Punches, Don’t Get Penalized

Simply put, Eck was wrong. There was plenty of video evidence that showed not just Slay but also Eagles defensive back Quinyon Mitchell throw a punch during the incident.

Slay punched Washington after the tight end “put him on roller skates.” Mitchell threw a punch at Austin after the Steelers wide receiver entered the fray to defend his tight end.

In the NFL, the retaliatory player usually receives a penalty. While Austin’s penalty fell under that category, in this incident, the Eagles retaliated twice and yet received no penalties.

Mike Tomlin didn’t elaborate on what the explanation was from the officials that he considered “not sufficient.” But it’s easy to see why he was frustrated about the incident after the game.

The FOX Sports broadcast booth, which included Tom Brady and NFL rules expert Dean Blandino, argued that the officiating crew should have penalized the Eagles for throwing punches.

How Much Impact Did No Offsetting Penalties Have?

To be clear, the Steelers deserved to penalized on the play. But offsetting fouls would have significantly changed Pittsburgh’s offensive possession.

On the play that led to personal fouls from Washington and Austin, the Steelers gained 7 yards on a Najee Harris reception. The Steelers running back went out of bounds at the 4-yard line.

Had Slay or Mitchell received a personal foul penalty to offset the Steelers penalties, Pittsburgh would have faced second and 3. The Steelers could have also gained a first down at the 1-yard line.

One play or penalty never defines an NFL game. The Eagles went on to outgain the Steelers 401-163. Philadelphia allowed Pittsburgh to have just two second-half possessions. The Steelers ran only 11 offensive plays after halftime.

The Eagles didn’t win because the officials missed the punches from Slay and Mitchell.

Still, the Eagles set the tone early with a 17-3 lead. The first half could have been very different if the Steelers had the opportunity to score a touchdown from inside the 5-yard line.

Eck and his officiating crew may have changed the complexion of the Steelers-Eagles matchup by missing the punches thrown from the Philadelphia players.

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On the pivotal second half possession, the Steelers drove to the Philadelphia 26-yard line. Then, running back Najee Harris fumbled a pitch from quarterback Russell Wilson, which the Eagles recovered.

Philadelphia responded with a touchdown, and because of the ball-control Eagles offense, the Steelers touched the ball only one other time after Harris’ fumble.

The FOX Sports broadcast showed that Wilson was doing a lot of communicating at the line of scrimmage before the play where Harris lost the pitch. But Wilson told reporters after the game that he wasn’t trying to audible.

“No, that was the play we had going on,” Wilson said to a question on whether he changed the play. “It just, unfortunately, didn’t work out.”

The Eagles outgained the Steelers 401-163. So, Philadelphia badly outplayed Pittsburgh throughout Week 15.

But Harris still picked a bad time to fumble for the first time this season. The turnover proved to be a turning point in the Steelers 27-13 loss in Philadelphia.

Steelers’ Najee Harris Explains What Happened on Key Fumble

The Steelers veteran running back provided a few more details but overall, also offered a simple explanation on what led to his fumble.

“Yeah, I took my eyes off of it,” Harris told reporters. “I took my eyes off of it. I was looking at the hole rather than securing the football and fumbled it.”

The Steelers still won the turnover margin 2-1 in Week 15. However, Pittsburgh scored only 3 points off two fumbles in the first quarter. In fact, the Steelers recovered fumbles on back-to-back Eagles possessions to gain 57 yards of field position, and yet they still settled for a field goal.

Philadelphia scored a touchdown off the Harris giveaway.

The fumble was a huge mistake. But Harris couldn’t get the Steelers ground game going either. He gained just 14 yards on 6 carries. The Steelers rushed for 56 yards with quarterbacks Wilson and Justin Fields combining for 21 of those yards.

Before Week 15, the Steelers had only one other game where they didn’t eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark. That was Week 5 versus the Dallas Cowboys when they gained 92 yards on the ground.

Harris’ 19 yards was also his fewest in a game this season.

Russell Wilson Critical of Steelers Performance vs. Eagles

Wilson didn’t call out his running back for his fumble. But he was critical of how his team played overall.

“They played way better than us tonight. It’s unacceptable how we played. I think we feel like we have to be sharper,” Wilson told reporters. “So we just have to stay the course and know that, obviously, we have a big week coming up. We’ve got to respond.”

The Steelers have another road matchup upcoming against the Baltimore Ravens. With a win, the Steelers can clinch the AFC North and guarantee a home playoff game.

In Week 11, Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore 18-16. The Steelers didn’t score a touchdown in that contest.

That’s not likely to happen again, though, and to beat the Ravens, Najee Harris and the rest of the Steelers will have to avoid costly turnovers.

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“They did a good job. They’re a good football team,” Wilson said of the Eagles. “We’ve got to tip our hats to them. They played way better than us tonight.

“It’s unacceptable how we played. I think we feel like we have to be sharper.”

Although the Steelers were within one score for most of the evening versus the Eagles, the statistics agree with Wilson’s assessment. The Eagles outgained the Steelers 401-163.

Philadelphia doubled Pittsburgh’s output in both rushing and passing yards. The Eagles also converted three times as many third-down opportunities as the Steelers.

Furthermore, Philadelphia controlled the clock for nearly 40 minutes. Pittsburgh ran only 11 plays in the second half.

The Steelers won the turnover margin 2-1. However, the Eagles scored a touchdown off their lone takeaway. The Steelers tallied 3 points off a pair of first quarter fumble recoveries.

Steelers Lose Again in Philadelphia

The Steelers and Eagles don’t meet often. For Pittsburgh, that’s a good thing because the Steelers can’t seem to win in Philadelphia.

At least they haven’t been able to since the start of the Super Bowl era. The Steelers last defeated the Eagles in Philadelphia during the 1965 NFL season.

Week 15 marked Pittsburgh’s 11th consecutive loss in Eastern Pennsylvania.

A lot of Pittsburgh’s recent defeats in Philadelphia haven’t been very close either. The Steelers have lost by at least 9 points in each of their last four road matchups against the Eagles.

The Steelers trailed the Eagles 17-3 in the first half. Pittsburgh scored the next 10 points to pull within 4 points at halftime. But the Eagles shut out the Steelers in the second half.

Due to Philadelphia’s ball control offense, the Steelers had just two second half possessions.

Steelers’ Russell Wilson Turning the Page to Ravens

While Wilson put his teammates on notice, it didn’t take long for him to utter a much more positive sentiment.

“We just have to stay the course and know that, obviously, we have a big week coming up,” Wilson told reporters. “We’ve got to respond. We’ve got to be ready to go and that’s where our focus has to be.”

Clearly, the quarterback is moving on to the Baltimore Ravens, who the Steelers will meet on a short week. The Steelers also have a Christmas Day matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs looming.

If the Steelers defeat the Ravens on December 21, then they will clinch the AFC North. If not, then the showdown with the Chiefs and the Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals will determine whether the Steelers will host a home playoff game.

Even with a win against the Ravens, the Steelers will be playing for playoff seeding the final two weeks.

In summary, though, the Steelers don’t have to overreact to the Eagles loss. In 2008, the Steelers lost to the Eagles in Philadelphia and went on to win the Super Bowl.

Just like that campaign, the Steelers can still end the 2024 season on a high note despite the loss in Philadelphia.

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They didn’t start that stretch on a high note, dropping the first of those three matchups 27-13 to the Eagles.

But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that he’s not concerned about the Week 15 loss carrying into the team’s next matchup versus Baltimore.

“It’s a loss. I mean, let’s not get dramatic,” Mike Tomlin told reporters when asked how the team will prevent the Week 15 game from snowballing into the following week.

The Steelers’ loss to the Eagles started on an embarrassing note and arguably ended that way. Philadelphia outgained Pittsburgh 148-2 in the first quarter.

By halftime, the Steelers managed to claw to within 4 points. But Pittsburgh possessed the ball just twice and ran only 11 plays in the second half.

On those two second half possessions, the Steelers lost a fumble and punted. The Eagles finished with 238 more yards than Pittsburgh.

Mike Tomlin Not Overreacting to Steelers Loss to Eagles

The Eagles thoroughly dominated the Steelers in Week 15, especially in the first quarter and during the second half.

Philadelphia outgained Tomlin’s team 401-163. The Eagles had twice as many rushing and passing yards.

Furthermore, Philadelphia converted 10 of 17 third-down opportunities while the Steelers were 3-for-10 on third down.

“There were several possession downs on defense where we had opportunities to tackle ball carriers in the flat and we missed those tackles,” Tomlin said. “That produced extended drives and thus points.

“That’s life in our business.”

Behind those 10 third-down conversions, the Eagles controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes. The Steelers held the ball for under six minutes in the entire second half.

Tomlin added, though, that there’s “nothing mystic” about what the Steelers need to correct. They must tackle better over the next two weeks versus the Ravens and Chiefs to avoid a losing December record.

The Steelers forced two early fumbles against the Eagles. But those takeaways led to only 3 points for Pittsburgh. The Eagles scored a touchdown off the lone Steelers giveaway.

Steelers Clinch Playoff Spot, Can Capture AFC North in Week 16

While the Steelers don’t play the Eagles often, there’s a natural rivalry between the two franchises because they are both from the same state. Philadelphia is always a difficult place for the Steelers to play too, as they haven’t won in Eastern Pennsylvania since 1965.

The loss in Week 15 marked Pittsburgh’s 11th consecutive defeat against the Eagles in Philadelphia. But the loss might not have much of an impact on Pittsburgh’s goals this season.

Because the Denver Broncos defeated the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers still clinched a playoff spot on December 15. And even if the Steelers had beaten the Eagles, they still would need to win at Baltimore in Week 16 to official capture the AFC North.

That doesn’t change with the loss to Philadelphia. If the Steelers win on December 21, they will be AFC North champions.

It’s also worth noting that the Steelers played in Week 15 without wide receiver George Pickens. Without Pickens, Calvin Austin III was the only Pittsburgh receiver with more than 1 catch versus Philadelphia.

Getting Pickens back will be key. As will the health of edge rusher T.J. Watt, who left Week 15 with an ankle concern.

But with those two players, the Steelers can regroup and still have a strong finish to the season even after losing in Philadelphia.

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“Folks, I would be pretty stunned if the Steelers went after Odell Beckham Jr. even with George Pickens sidelined,” Steelers Depot posted on December 13, nipping this bit of speculation in the bud after the three-time Pro Bowl wideout and the Miami Dolphins mutually parted ways earlier that morning — per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.

Beckham is a former five-time 1,000-yard playmaker known for making big catches, but he’s certainly not the same offensive weapon that he once was at age 32.

In 2024, Beckham was totally irrelevant with the Dolphins, recording 9 receptions for 55 yards and no touchdowns. He’s also earned the reputation of being somewhat of a diva athlete throughout his career.

Steelers Depot feels Pittsburgh has little-to-no desire to bring a player like Beckham in at this point in the season, and there’s no reason to believe that they’re wrong.

Steelers Role Players Have Stepped Up Without George Pickens

The Steelers got by just fine without Pickens in Week 14, as head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff petitioned everyone to chip in and do their part.

That included reserve wide receivers Mike Williams and Scotty Miller, but this mentality also asks for more out of tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, as well as running backs Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.

The Steelers will continue to lean on the veteran savvy of quarterback Russell Wilson too — and the 36-year-old has earned every bit of that confidence.

Pittsburgh has a difficult test ahead in Week 15 matching up against one of the league’s very best pass defenses this year. So, if this WR corps helps the Steelers get a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, that would really equate to a job well done.

This is a challenge that Pittsburgh has not run from — they welcome it. And it will be interesting to see how this shorthanded offense holds up against top competition.

NFL Insider Lists 3 AFC Playoff Teams as Potential Landing Spots for WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Bovada NFL insider Josina Anderson weighed in on Beckham’s latest free agency sweepstakes on December 14, listing six potential “fits” for the veteran pass-catcher.

“Teams I currently see as my fits for OBJ on the basis of [head coach], QB, current contention [and] future need [with] potential attrition at the position ([in] no particular order),” Anderson posted, listing the following NFL franchises:

• Seattle Seahawks.
• Washington Commanders.
• Houston Texans.
• Denver Broncos.
• Los Angeles Rams.
• Buffalo Bills.

Anderson also added that Beckham has a “previous rapport” with head coach Sean McVay and the Rams, as well as Broncos head coach Sean Payton — despite never playing for him. She told a fan to “trust” her knowledge of Beckham’s personal relationship with Payton.

Three of those teams are currently projected to make the AFC playoff bracket alongside the Steelers, while the other three reside in the NFC. So, it’s possible that Pittsburgh could see Beckham in the upcoming weeks or months, even if they don’t choose to pursue the former superstar WR themselves.

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Yinzer nation has grown accustomed to Wilson’s calculated posts and high-quality video edits since his arrival this spring, and the more the Steelers win with the veteran quarterback at the helm, the more fans seem to buy in on social media. Ahead of a huge Week 15 matchup with the Pennsylvania rival Philadelphia Eagles, the signal-caller only had one word for his followers.

“Unleash,” Wilson wrote on Instagram on December 13, seemingly urging his team on while also tagging the Steelers account in the caption.

As usual, the Week 15 theme appeared to stem from a Mike Tomlin quote, which Wilson included audio of in his video.

“We’re gon’ unleash hell here in December, because we have to,” Tomlin’s voice states at the beginning of the edit.

The video message then transitions into lyrics from the famed Michael Jackson song, “Thriller,” which read: “Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood. To terrorize y’all’s neighborhood. And whosoever shall be found. Without the soul for getting down. Must stand and face the hounds of hell. And rot inside a corpse’s shell.”

As the Thriller music continues in the background and Steelers highlights play across the screen, Tomlin’s voice comes back into focus.

“We will not go gently,” the legendary head coach says. “We won’t go in a shell; we will go in attack mode.”

Followed by a different Tomlin quote, which adds: “Those are the men that are going to comprise a team that is capable of hoisting that damn Lombardi.”

The Instagram post has over 23,000 likes in approximately nine hours.

Steelers Must Beat Eagles Without Star WR George Pickens

For the second straight week, star wide receiver George Pickens was ruled out with a hamstring injury on December 13. His absence didn’t stop Wilson and the offense from getting the job done against the Cleveland Browns a week ago, but it’s no secret that the Eagles present a tougher challenge.

Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and the star-studded Philly offense get a ton of attention, but the franchise’s defensive improvements have flown way under the radar in 2024.

The Eagles have allowed a league-leading 4.7-yard average per play this season. For the sake of comparison, the Steelers defense has allowed 5.3 yards per play.

Philadelphia has been especially impressive against the pass. They rank No. 1 in the NFL in net yards gained by the opposition per pass attempt, and second overall in total passing yards allowed behind the Tennessee Titans.

2024 first-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is a big reason for that, as is veteran counterpart Darius Slay.

This pair of CBs would have surely been a difficult test for Pickens, let alone a WR corps led by Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Mike Williams. But as Tomlin stated in Wilson’s message, the Steelers will not “go in a shell” despite Pickens’ absence, they will “go in attack mode” as they always do.

That mentality welcomes adversity with the mantra: “Next man up.”

Steelers Nation Reacts to Russell Wilson’s Week 15 Message

Fans and followers of Wilson and the Steelers loved his latest video message ahead of Week 15.

“These videos make life worth living,” one user joked.

Another replied: “Anyone know a repair man? Just ran through a brick wall 😤.”

And a third said: “Didn’t know i could be more hyped for the game then Russ goes and drops this….”

Finally, one fan talked about Wilson and his recent resurgence in Pittsburgh.

“You proved yourself already boss🔥🔥.. but with this win this weekend the world will see it,” they wrote.

It’s clear that the Steelers are now Wilson’s team, both now and in the future.

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If the Watt brothers ever took the field for the same defense, that unit would be deploying a combined four AP Defensive Player of the Year Awards, as well as nine first-team All-Pro honors and over 227 career sacks (including playoffs). Not to mention a long list of other stats and accolades.

So, have the Steelers ever tried to convince the oldest of the three Watt brothers to attempt a comeback and sign with the organization during one of his many team visits in Pittsburgh? Head coach Mike Tomlin was asked that question while speaking with the Pat McAfee Show on December 12, and his answer — while hilarious — pretty much closed the door on the J.J. Watt discussion once and for all.

“We don’t have enough cash for two Watts,” Tomlin joked, drawing a laugh from McAfee and his crew.

Realistically, if J.J. Watt ever did decide to return for one final run at a Super Bowl title, money probably wouldn’t be the deciding factor and linking up with his brother would be at or near the top of the list of potential destinations no matter what the Steelers could afford to pay him. Over the Cap estimates a career earnings amount of approximately $129.706 million, and that doesn’t include the “cash” that the retired superstar has made off the field in endorsements, commercials and business ventures.

It’s more likely that — as J.J. Watt has hinted in the past — he’s enjoying his retirement and no longer has enough of a desire to step back out onto the football field. Tomlin’s response is more humorous though.

J.J. Watt Says Steelers Are Proving They Can Win in ‘Different Ways’ With Russell Wilson at Quarterback

Speaking of J.J. Watt and the Pat McAfee Show, the former game-wrecking defensive lineman joined the show on December 11, and he explained why he feels this Steelers team could potentially make a Super Bowl run in 2024-25.

“I mean, they clearly looked good [in Week 14] and they’ve proved they can do it in a few different ways,” Watt told McAfee. “Obviously, [star wide receiver] George Pickens being out for this game — and also it looks like, possibly a little longer — they proved that they can find a way to win without him.”

Watt went on to call Pickens a “stud” and a “phenomenal” receiver before reiterating that Pittsburgh is finding ways to win even without some of their best players.

“We know their defense is good, we’re clearly seeing [Russell Wilson] play at a level that is capable of making it very deep into the playoffs and potentially Super Bowl,” he continued. “So, we’ll see.”

Watt did note that the grueling upcoming schedule will be very difficult to maneuver, but he seemed to like the Steelers’ chances long-term, as do most fans. Is this the year Pittsburgh gets back to the big game?

Steelers Embark on 3-Game, 11-Day Stretch in Week 15

As Watt alluded, the Steelers are about to embark on a three-game stretch that will occur over an 11-day span.

It begins in Philadelphia against the 11-2 Eagles on December 15 before heading to Baltimore to play the division rival Ravens six days later. Finally, Pittsburgh will finish up with a Christmas Day outing versus the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

That final game will take place just four days after the Ravens outing — although the Chiefs will be playing on the exact same amount of rest.

Fortunately, the Steelers have just about locked up a playoff spot at 95.4% according to Pro Football Network’s playoff predictor tool, but these games will still be incredibly important for seeding. For now, they’ll have to take things one day at a time.

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