Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt Reportedly Could Return Sooner Than Expected
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt is expected to return before the end of the season, maybe even sooner than anticipated, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Watt has been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Miami Dolphins after undergoing surgery last week for a partially collapsed lung. However, while a collapsed lung can be serious, depending on the cause, some cases are not as severe.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are dealing with illness and other injuries as they prepare to host the Miami Dolphins on "Monday Night Football."
Starting running back Jaylen Warren was added to the injury report Monday morning with an illness and is questionable to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Warren woke up sick but was optimistic he would play.
If Warren can't play, Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Kaleb Johnson would handle the running back duties for Pittsburgh. However, Warren leads the team in rushing yards (652) and attempts (159) and is tied with Gainwell for the team lead in rushing touchdowns (four).
The Steelers received good news this weekend when tight end Darnell Washington was cleared to play after suffering a concussion in Week 14 against the Ravens. However, starting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is also questionable after missing the past two games with a knee injury.
Pittsburgh (7-6) enters the game against Miami with a œ game lead over the Ravens (7-7) in the AFC North.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow Confident Bengals Have 'Right People' to Turn Franchise Around
Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow was frustrated about many things after Sunday's 24-0 loss to the Ravens eliminated Cincinnati from the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
However, Burrow said his introspective comments last week did not reflect his desire to leave Cincinnati.
"My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati," Burrow said via the teamâs website. "My comments had everything to do with being my mindset and football."
Burrow said he remained confident that Head Coach Zac Taylor, his coaching staff, and his teammates could turn things around next season.
"A lot of confidence," Burrow said. "I know how hard people work at it. We got the right people. It starts with players playing better. Today it was me.
"This is a team effort. At the end of the day, players got to play better on the field."
Burrow missed nine games after suffering a toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery, and the Bengals were 1-8 without him. Theynow enter Week 16 ranked last in the NFL in total defense. That speaks to how dependent the Bengals are on Burrow, but he doesn't believe he's carrying too large a load.
"I want everything on my plate. That's the position I want to be in," Burrow said.
Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett Won't Let a Sore Hip End His Chase for Sack Record
With 21.5 sacks, defensive end Myles Garrett is just one sack away from tying the all-time single-season record with three games left to play.
Michael Strahan and Watt share the single-season sack record with 22.5. Garrett recorded 1.5 sacks in Cleveland's 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears and suffered a hip injury in the process. However, Garrett remained in the game and said afterward that he won't miss any time.
"I'm going to play through pretty much anything," Garrett said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "Tweaked my hip or something in that area, so I was feeling that for the rest of the game. But like I said, we're just going to keep continuing to push through because we've still got something to play for. As long as there's games on the schedule, I'm going to go out there and try to win."
The Browns (3-11) are out of playoff contention, but Garrett says the team should still play for pride.
"Look at the man beside you. It could be his last game," Garrett said. "Could be your last game. Don't go out with a whimper. You keep on fighting and you want to be remembered for your very last play, your very last game."
