This week the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the wrong end of the worst thing about the NFL and that is Thursday Night Football. Pittsburgh is home to take on the Tennessee Titans and needs this win to hold onto any hopes of making the playoffs.
This game is anything but a freebie for the Steelers despite the Titans struggles. Here is what we will be watching for this week.
Kenny Pickett's health
Kenny Pickett declared to the press on Tuesday that he was planning to play despite the rib injury he suffered last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Winning or losing against Tennessee will depend greatly on what Pickett can and cannot do.
The return of Cam Heyward
The best thing that could happen to the Steelers defensive front would be the return of Cam Heyward. He practiced fully this week and seems ready to roll.
Adjustments in the secondary without Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Steelers lost Minkah Fitzpatrick to a hamstring injury last week and had to adjust on the fly. Now with a few days to prepare, we hope to see a group better prepared to replace the top safety in the NFL.
Getting T.J. Watt pass rush options
It’s pretty clear that on most reps, T.J. Watt is going to see two and three guys. We’d like to see if defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has noticed and might want to mix things up with how they rush with Watt to give him some better looks.