Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
We might have seen the last of Joe Haden as a Steeler.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed starting cornerback Joe Haden on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. This puts his status for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens in jeopardy. Here are three takeaways from the move.
Here is the current line on Steelers vs Ravens.
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According to Tipico Sportsbook, the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 5.5-point road underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens. This is despite Pittsburgh pulling off a huge win over the Cleveland Browns last week and the Ravens being without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Back on December 5, the Steelers snuck past the Ravens 20-19 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers defense sacked Jackson seven times including 3.5 sacks by league leader T.J. Watt.
Both teams are fighting with their playoff lives. The Steelers sit at 8-7-1 and need to win this game as well as get help from the Jacksonville Jaguars by having them beat the Indianapolis Colts.
If you were making a bet on this game, do you take Pittsburgh and the points or are you expecting them to win it outright? Let us know in the comments.
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Steelers protect four players for their season final vs. Ravens.
The NFL carried over some successful rules from the 2020 season, including practice squad protections. Teams can protect up to four of the most valued players on their practice squad each week, preventing them from being signed by other teams.
Teams that play on Sundays can designate protected players each Tuesday at 4 p.m. Teams that play on Mondays designate players each Wednesday. Protected players are not eligible to sign with another team until after that week’s game.
Here are the four players the Pittsburgh Steelers protected on their practice squad for Week 18 versus the Baltimore Ravens:
The first Steelers participation/injury report of Ravens week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers released their first injury/practice participation report of Baltimore Ravens week.
Here’s the rundown:
Steelers lose defensive starter to COVID list.
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When the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, they will be doing it without starting cornerback Joe Haden. On the same day the Steelers announced multiple players coming off the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Haden finds himself on it.
With the new COVID-19 protocols in the NFL, there’s still a chance that Haden could be activated in time to play against Baltimore. If Haden can’t go, Akhello Witherspoon is the most likely candidate to replace him in the starting lineup.
If Haden is unable to play on Sunday, it’s highly likely he played his last game as a Steelers last week against the Cleveland Browns. Haden is set to hit free agency in the offseason and the team has shown no interest in bringing Haden back.
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Steelers vs Ravens: 3 early causes for concern
It all comes down to this. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to win one game and get a little help in order to secure an all-important playoff spot. But this isn’t going to be easy. The Steelers must travel to take on the Baltimore Ravens and they have playoff aspirations of their own. Here is what we are worried about this week.
Mike Tomlin noted a few injuries during his press conference that were sustained during the Cleveland Browns matchup.
In his press conference today, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin noted a few injuries that were sustained during the Cleveland Browns matchup.
Here they are:
