Mission accomplished as the Steelers escape Week 17 without injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers were losers in their Week 17 24-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns, but, in a way, they were winners too. One of the goals, if not the main goal, for the Steelers entering the Week 17 game was to stay healthy. Avoid an injury to a player who could then miss the first round, or more, of the AFC Playoffs.

With Week 17 now officially in the rear view mirror, the Steelers can say that goal was accomplished.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers were able to get out of FirstEnergy Stadium without major injury. This from Missi Matthews of Steelers.com:

Tomlin did say the Steelers did have some “bumps and bruises” associated with football, and one of the players who had some of those bumps or bruises was none other than rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool. Claypool was dealing with a foot/ankle injury, but was still able to put up 5 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

As for the first round of the playoffs, the Steelers are holding out hope they could get some players back to help with their postseason efforts. Robert Spillane (knee) could be activated off Injured Reserve (IR) this week, and there is hope offensive guard Matt Feiler (pectoral) could also find his way off IR leading into the postseason as well.

Outside of those on IR, two players who missed this game due to injury, Chris Boswell (groin) and Terrell Edmunds (shoulder), are hopeful to get back on the field for the Steelers as they prepare to play the Browns at Heinz Field in the AFC Wild Card round. On top of those players, there is a chance the Steelers could also get Eric Ebron and Cassius Marsh back if they don’t test positive for COVID-19 after being a high-risk contact after Joe Haden tested positive leading up to the Week 17 game.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for their first playoff game since 2017.