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The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a must-win game in Week 13. At 6-5, their playoff hopes are still very much alive. However, losing in Week 13 could make things a lot more difficult for them.
Pittsburgh is going up against the Cleveland Browns, their AFC North rivals and a 5-6 team that has already defeated them once this year.
With the Steelers needing a win, here are three players to watch in their Week 13 matchup with the Browns.
Devlin Hodges
This is the most obvious of the group. Devlin Hodges is an undrafted rookie quarterback making his second career start.
While Hodges has only started one game this year, he's appeared in three total. In that time, he is 27-of-40 for 318 yards and two touchdowns (one interception).
Hodges has shown some flashes of being an exciting player, but also has his moments where you realize he's an undrafted rookie.
The last time Hodges started a game was due to an injury to Mason Rudolph. However, this time Rudolph is being benched in favor of him.
That makes this a much more interesting situation. The reason for that is they have options. Last time, it was kind of their only real move. Now if Hodges is struggling, they might decide to make the switch back.
It's already intriguing enough having a rookie QB out there. Make him undrafted and that just adds to it. Throw in the fact that he's not exactly guaranteed to play the entire game and it will be impossible to not wonder about him.
T.J. Watt
Now let's get into the stars. Yes, Hodges will undoubtedly play into the outcome of the game. However, the Steelers will likely simplify things and try to take as much pressure off his as possible.
Taking a lot of the pressure off of him will be the defense. And they will lean on their stars to do so. That means T.J. Watt will need to make an impact.
The good news for Pittsburgh is that Watt is excellent at doing just that.
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Watt has been an animal since entering the league back in 2017. That year he had seven sacks, a forced fumble and eight pass deflections (one interception).
Then last season, he racked up 13 sacks. And now he's already up to 11.5 through the first 11 games of this year.
Watt has five forced fumbles (three recoveries) and an interception as well. He's also already deflected five passes and has a number of tackles for loss among his 37 total tackles.
He's must-watch every week, as he's bound to make a play. Week 13 is no different.
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Speaking of playmakers. Minkah Fitzpatrick is an obvious choice as well. Since joining the Steelers earlier this year, he's been one of the best and most explosive defensive players in the NFL.
In nine games with the team, he has five interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, eight pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick has turned himself into a star attraction defensive back overnight. He's thrived since the Miami Dolphins made the mistake of trading him, and he's made the Pittsburgh defense that much better.
With Fitzpatrick on their defense, a shutdown game is that much more likely. Anyone watching could see him make a spectacular play or force a turnover at any second too.
Fitzpatrick has made the Steelers a much more exciting team to watch in recent weeks. So obviously, the defensive back is one of the players you should be watching in Week 13 against the Browns.
