The Indianapolis Colts will face one of the best pass rushers in the game as Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt was cleared from the concussion protocol.
Watt had been a full participant at practice for the first two days of the week so it’s no surprise he cleared the protocol. For the Colts, this means a lot of focus will be spent on how to help rookie Blake Freeland, who steps in for the injured Braden Smith (knee) for the second week in a row.
Watt is having another stellar season with 14.0 sacks thus far. Slowing him down will be the biggest obstacle for a Colts offense that scored just seven points in a brutal Week 14 loss.
On the other side of the formation, Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith also cleared the concussion protocol Thursday and will play against the Colts. He may not be having the season he enjoyed in 2022 when he posted a career-high 14.5 sacks, but he’s still productive with 6.0 sacks and 16 quarterback hits thus far.
He will primarily line up against second-year left tackle Bernhard Raimann, who is coming off a rough game but has been enjoying a strong season overall.
The matchup in the trenches very well may determine the outcome of this game, which is a crucial one for both teams’ playoff hopes.
