Steelers improve playoff hopes with win vs. Ravens; T.J. Watt exits with knee injury

By Larry Holder, Mike DeFabo, Mark Kaboly and Jeff Zrebiec

Pittsburgh Quarterback Mason Rudolph continued his stellar play as the Steelers improved their postseason hopes Saturday with a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Steelers (10-7) would clinch a playoff berth with either a Houston Texans tie with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night, a Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the Tennessee Titans early Sunday afternoon or a Buffalo Bills loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night.

Pittsburgh struck big early in the fourth quarter when Rudolph hit Diontae Johnson for a 71-yard TD pass to push the Steelers to a 14-7 lead. It was easily the biggest pass play for either team under wet, cold conditions in Baltimore.

Coach Mike Tomlin elected to keep Rudolph as the starting QB even though Kenny Pickett was deemed healthy after an ankle injury. Pittsburgh is 3-0 with Rudolph as the starter. Rudolph went 18-of-20 passing for 152 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions with a 115.0 passer rating.

Also Steelers tailback Najee Harris continued his recent success on the ground with 112 rushing yards on 26 carries, including a 6-yard TD run in the first quarter.

On the injury front, Steelers All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt left in the third quarter with a knee injury after taking a hit on the leg from a teammate. He was quickly deemed out for the rest of the game.

Watt leaped in the air on a play and then had his leg hit by defensive tackle Montravius Adams. Watt laid face down on the wet turf and banged his hand after the injury. After heading to the blue medical tent, Steelers staff took Watt to the locker room. Watt has two sacks in the game and holds the NFL lead with 19. He and his brother, J.J., are the only players in history with multiple seasons of at least 19 sacks.

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The Ravens (13-4) had their six-game winning streak snapped with the loss. Baltimore clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC during Week 17, meaning a first-round bye and home-field advantage through to the playoffs.

Tyler Huntley started in place of a resting Lamar Jackson for the Ravens. The Baltimore backup QB went 15-of-28 passing for 146 yards with one TD and a 80.4 passer rating.

The Ravens sat many of their top players either to rest them or let injuries heal, including Jackson, wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers, safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and guard Kevin Zeitler.

How significant is losing Watt?

It’s huge. If the Steelers get the help they need to squeak into the playoffs, how much of a contender can they be without their best player? While it’s too soon to speculate on the severity of Watt’s injury, it can’t be good if he was ruled out so quickly in the biggest game of the season.

Pittsburgh leaned on its defense throughout this season. Often, it was that side of the ball lugging an anemic offense to improbable wins, even with the top four safeties out and two of the best three inside linebackers injured. The Steelers were looking forward to the possibility of Damontae Kazee returning from suspension for the playoffs. Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick could also be cleared in time for an elimination game. But it’s not overstating things to say a Watt injury would overshadow any addition. His status will be one of the most significant Pittsburgh storylines this week. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers staff writer What this means for Steelers going forward

The Steelers’ defense has been ravaged by injuries this season. They began Saturday’s game missing two of their top three inside linebackers and all four of their top safeties.

However, if Pittsburgh could get some help to get into the playoffs, there appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Fitzpatrick practiced this week and appears near a return. Fellow safety Kazee is eligible to return from his three-game suspension if the Steelers qualify for the postseason.

That would help a defense that carried the team for most of the season. If Watt’s injury is serious? That would be a major blow, overshadowing any possible return of another player. — DeFabo

How Pittsburgh kept its playoff hopes alive

The Steelers may or may not qualify for the playoffs, but they did what they had to do, and who would’ve thought that after losing three straight less than a month ago?

Saturday’s win over the Ravens was the ugliest of the past three, but Pittsburgh took care of business considering the situation and weather. With it being cold and raining all game and Baltimore sitting a handful of defensive starters, the Steelers did the smart thing and relied heavily on their running game behind Harris’ sixth-career 100-yard rushing game.

Rudolph was a little shaky in the weather, but the combination of a big play to Johnson and the 150-plus yards rushing was all they needed. And that philosophy just may be tough to stop if they get into the playoffs. — Mark Kaboly, Steelers senior writer

Ravens injuries pile up

The only thing that mattered for the Ravens was getting out of the game as healthy as possible, and they didn’t quite achieve that goal.

Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh hobbled off the field on the Steelers’ second drive and did not return. Safety Geno Stone (knee) and reserve linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (shoulder) then went down on the same play in the third quarter. Neither returned. Defensive end Brent Urban also is being evaluated for concussion.

Baltimore badly need this bye week. They already had a number of key starters, including Flowers (calf),  Zeitler (quad/knee), Humphrey (calf) and Hamilton (knee) dealing with injuries. Now, they have a few more injury question marks heading into the postseason. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens senior writer

Dalvin Cook’s chances of being active for the Ravens in the playoffs got a major boost without him even playing in Saturday’s game. Cook, the veteran running back who was let go by the New York Jets earlier in the week, officially signed to Baltimore’s practice squad Friday after passing his physical. He’ll start practicing with the team next week.

The Ravens have made no promises that he’ll be elevated off the practice squad for the playoffs, but that seems more likely after Saturday. Melvin Gordon, who is the team’s No. 3 running back, lost a fumble. His ball security has been a persistent concern in his career. Gus Edwards also lost a fumble for a second-straight week.

The door is open for Cook. — Zrebiec

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(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)