At this point in the calendar, the NFL season becomes, at least partially, a war of attrition. All 32 teams have injured players, some more than others.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) will be without four key players on Sunday when they visit the Detroit Lions (8-6) in a pivotal Week 16 game at Ford Field. Linebackers T.J. Watt (lung) and Nick Herbig (hamstring) have been ruled out, along with guard Isaac Seumalo (triceps) and cornerback James Pierre (knee).
Yet the Steelers will need to press on as they try to maintain their one-game lead in the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) and win their third straight game. Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey says the injuries only heighten the sense of urgency.
"It should be," Ramsey said. “It's important football being played right now, fighting for playoff positioning, division, and stuff like that."
The injuries to Watt, a four-time All-Pro, and Herbig leave the linebacking corps thin. The Steelers will count on rookie Jack Sawyer to continue the steady improvement he has shown all year after helping Ohio State win the national championship last season.
"I think for a young guy, Jack's pretty consistent in terms of what he does, how he prepares, how he works," Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "The one thing I always like, when you watched Jack in college, when it was tough, and they needed a big play, he was a guy that was around. So, he's not afraid of those moments. I think he'll be able to step up and give us what we need with an expanded role again this week.”
Ramsey is in his 10th NFL season, but his first with the Steelers, after being acquired over the summer from the Miami Dolphins in a trade. Something Ramsey has been impressed by is his new team’s ability to withstand injuries.
"It's next man up. That is league-wide saying," Ramsey said. "These guys around here really embrace it. You can be at some places, and they say it's a drop-off because someone is injured. But here, it's not expected to have a drop-off in how we play as a collective. It's kind of a sense of accountability.”