Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt has been ruled out of the Wild Card matchup against the Bills this Sunday, per Brooke Pryor at ESPN. Watt suffered a knee injury in the Steelers' final regular season at Baltimore. The good news for the Steelers, quarterback Mason Rudolph will continue to be their signal caller, getting the start against the Bills.
While Pittsburgh is currently riding a three-game win streak, the Bills are heavy favorites in the contest, especially with the Steelers' best player on the sideline. Watt isn't just an All-Pro, he's the heartbeat of the Steelers. He wreaks havoc on the defensive end, whether it's getting to the quarterback or applying pressure to force key turnovers and make the field shorter for the offense.
Rudolph has done a great job, however, at pushing the pace of the Steelers in the past few weeks. There's a rhythm to Pittsburgh's scoring that was lacking early in the season. The Steelers may be banged up on the defensive end, but their offense is ready to roll. There's new life in the Steelers team and much of that has to do with the success of Rudlpoh.
In three starts this season Rudolph has accounted for 715 yards and three touchdowns, with a 74.3 completion percentage. He'll be facing a Bills team that likes to throw the ball downfield and put points on the board, so Rudolph is going to have to match that energy. The responsibility for Rudolph rises even higher with less insurance on the defensive end, knowing that Watt won't be available.
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