PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Steelers had every reason to fear the worst. T.J. Watt’s pursuit of Jalen Hurts ended with the star linebacker briefly hopping before he crumbled to the turf in the fourth quarter against the Eagles and clutched his left ankle.
A highly anticipated cross-state matchup with Philadelphia had already turned into a dud for Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Losing Watt for an extended stretch with the AFC North still at stake would have been a brutal blow — especially with a matchup against division rival Baltimore looming next weekend.
Watt said after the game he was in “wait-and-see” mode for that game. The 30-year-old former defensive player of the year came away with a rolled ankle that he didn’t necessarily believe was a serious injury.
Watt, who leads the Steelers with 11 1/2 sacks, was checked out in the medical tent and did not return.
Watt and the rest of the Steelers’ defense couldn’t put enough pressure on Hurts or slow down DeVonta Smith and A.J Brown — each of whom topped 100 yards receiving — in a 27-13 loss to the Eagles.
The Steelers (10-4) clinched a playoff berth thanks to losses by Indianapolis and Miami.
“No consolation,” Watt said.
The Ravens trail their division rivals by one game, and the teams play Saturday at Baltimore.
Russell Wilson led the Steelers to the division lead thanks in part to six wins against teams that currently have losing records.
The schedule toughens up down the stretch and the first test was a disaster.
“We need to find ways to get off” the field, Watt said. “We’ve been pretty good all year long on three-and-outs and getting off the field on third downs. We weren’t good enough today. There were a lot of long, sustained drives.”
Wilson threw for a season-low 128 yards and fell to 6-1 lifetime against the Eagles. After facing the Ravens, the Steelers then host Kansas City and finish the season at home against Cincinnati.
Playoff seeding and a division title remain in the balance.
“It is a loss. I mean, let’s not get dramatic,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
But it wasn’t pretty.
Wilson botched a pitch to Najee Harris in the third quarter and the Eagles recovered. That led to Hurts’ score on a 1-yard tush push for a 27-13 lead.
“That was the play we had going on. It just unfortunately didn’t work out,” Wilson said.
It was clear the Steelers missed receiver George Pickens, who leads the team in receptions (55) and yards receiving (850) by a wide margin. He missed a second straight game with a hamstring injury.
“Having George Pickens out there on the field is a good thing for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Wilson said. “But either way, we still have to respond and find ways to make plays.”
The Steelers also lost backup quarterback Justin Fields when took a hard hit to the abdomen from safety Reed Blankenship, and cornerback Donte Jackson suffered a back injury.
The injuries made it hard for some Steelers — such as Watt — to appreciate making the playoffs. However, the team’s fourth playoff appearances in the last five seasons did soothe some feelings inside the locker room.
“It’s a great thing for us. That’s our expectation,” Wilson said. “But we want to win this division, that’s our goal. It’s our first goal, to win the division. We’ve got to go take it. Got to go take it. We’ve got to go find a way on the road in Baltimore, which we know is going to be a great football game.”
It would be better for the Steelers if Watt and Pickens were along for the ride.
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