T.J. Watt wasn’t sure what to expect after having surgery to repair a collapsed lung last month. After all, it was not a normal football injury, so there was no expected timeline for the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker’s return.
The one certainty was that the four-time All-Pro wanted to be back in time for the regular-season finale. It appears Watt will reach that goal on Sunday night when the Steelers (9-7) host the Baltimore Ravens (8-8) in a showdown for the AFC North title at Acrisure Stadium.
The winner will capture the division title, and the loser will be eliminated from playoff contention. If the game ends in a tie, then the Steelers would finish in first place.
“This is a huge game, obviously," Watt said. "I'm really excited to get back out here in front of Steelers Nation and leave it all on the field."
Watt missed three games while recovering from the surgery. He practiced once last week but was not in uniform for the Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns, which cost them an opportunity to clinch the division title.
However, Watt practiced throughout this week and says he is ready for Sunday night’s showdown.
"I had a great week of practice, had no limitations," Watt said. "Tried to simulate as much as I could with shoulder pads and stuff like that. You can only simulate so much, so I feel really good.”
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to play after missing last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers with a back injury. With Jackson out, the Ravens relied on running back Derrick Henry and responded by rushing for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries.
Henry has averaged 147.3 yards in his last three games against the Steelers. Yet the Steelers held him relatively in check on Dec 7, when they beat the Ravens 27-22 in Baltimore, as he finished with 96 yards on 25 attempts. The Steelers are 27th in the NFL in total defense but 12th against the run.
The Steelers have won nine of their last 12 games against the Ravens, but each of those wins has been by seven points or less. So, stopping Henry will be paramount.
“I feel like that's up to us as a defensive line, getting on the other side of the line of scrimmage and stopping his feet before they get running and not letting him get up to our second level," Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton said.