For a third straight game, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without their No. 1 receiver. George Pickens, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens as he continues to work through the injury.
Pickens, who leads the Steelers with 55 receptions and 850 receiving yards, did not practice all week. He has not practiced since he sustained the injury during Pittsburgh’s final practice prior to its Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers are 1-1 this season in games without Pickens, the team’s leading receiver over the past three years. In Week 14, Pittsburgh’s offense overcame a slow start before finding its rhythm in the third quarter of its 27-14 win over the Browns. Russell Wilson threw a pair of touchdowns passes in the second half after throwing for less than 50 yards in the first half.
Pittsburgh wasn’t as fortunate last Sunday, however, as the offense scored just 13 points in a 14-point loss in Philadelphia. The Steelers gained just 163 yards, controlled the ball for just over 20 minutes and had just two possessions in the entire second half.
Without Pickens, the Steelers will need more production from fellow wideouts Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III. the Steelers will also need more from a running game that rushed for just 56 yards on 17 carries against the Eagles.
While they won’t have Pickens, the Steelers will have star pass rusher T.J. Watt for Saturday as he was not given an injury designation. Watt practiced in full on Thursday after injuring his ankle near the end of last Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.
Along with Pickens, backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal) is also out for Saturday’s game. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) is doubtful, while cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) are questionable. Elliott, Jackson and Ogunjobi were limited practice participants on Thursday.
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