Sunday night, all the Pittsburgh Steelers are focused on is a win. No matter if that’s a 40-38 shootout or 6-3 slugfest, the goal is to survive and advance. Everything else is noise. But there is intrigue to the end of the year. Win or loss, the regular season will be in the books. And there’s several individual achievements that key players are close to reaching. If they do, it’ll only increase the odds of Pittsburgh winning the game, the AFC North, and making the playoffs.
Here are seven Steelers stats worth watching.
EDGE T.J. Watt – One Forced Fumble From Tying All-Time Franchise Mark
T.J. Watt is back, and not a moment too soon. Suiting up for Sunday night’s finale, Watt enters with 36 career forced fumbles. That’s one behind franchise leader and EDGE Greg Lloyd, who recorded 37 over the course of his career.
Watt has always been a master at not just getting sacks but taking the football away, too. His run defense is also excellent and he’s consistently ball searching and trying to punch the football out. Ravens RB Derrick Henry has been prone to fumbling, his seven fumbles the last two years are tied for third-most, and ripping the ball out of his hands early might discourage Baltimore from feeding Henry the rest of the game.
No matter how he gets it, a 37th career forced fumble by Watt could change the game.
EDGE Alex Highsmith – 1.5 Sacks From Double-Digits
How about the other starting pass rusher? Highsmith has been on a month-long tear and looking to finish the regular season on the highest of notes. He leads the team with 8.5 sacks. Double-digits seem to be his goal and something he’s accomplished just once before, racking up 14.5 in 2022. He’s done well to fill Watt’s void when he hasn’t been in the lineup.
Highsmith has a primetime matchup against Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, a quality starting tackle. Beating him to take down QB Lamar Jackson would obviously be mission critical.
RB Jaylen Warren – 108 yards from 1,000 Rushing Yards
Pittsburgh would be served well if Warren can crack four-digits for the first time in his NFL career. The Steelers rushed for only 34 yards in the first Ravens meeting. Warren accounted for just 13 of those. Splitting time with Kenneth Gainwell this year, Warren hasn’t even reached 200 total carries. But Pittsburgh should lean on its running backs as the offense’s top playmakers.
A 100-yard rushing showing from Warren would be his third of the season, giving him more than he had in his three seasons combined.
RB Kenneth Gainwell – 51 Yards From 1,000 Scrimmage Yards
Like the EDGE rushers, lumping the running backs together. Gainwell has no chance to record 1,000 rushing yards but could definitely reach that mark from scrimmage. He sits at 949 this season. His passing game involvement should increase without needing to task him to chip a top pass rusher like last week; the Ravens simply don’t have that type of threat.
Gainwell has to keep displaying his vision as a runner and quickness out and space. It’ll be disappointing if he can’t reach this mark. And probably means a Steelers loss.
QB Aaron Rodgers – 20 Passing Yards From 66,000
Rodgers isn’t close to climbing the passing yards leaderboard. He’s still nearly 6,000 yards behind QB Brett Favre for fourth place. But he’s poised to join the “66,000” club that only includes Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
Rodgers is set to throw for a record-low number of yards. Sitting at just over 3,000 on the season, his previous low mark over a full season was 3,695. But he’s also been asked to pass less than before and frankly, the Steelers just haven’t possessed the ball much this year. Pittsburgh’s finally out of the basement but still 29th, averaging 57.2 plays per game. A big performance from Rodgers would be a nice way to end the year.
DL Cam Heyward – Maintain Lead For Most Tackles By Interior D-Lineman
Cam Heyward enters Week 18 with 71 total tackles. That’s first among all interior defensive linemen and second among anyone who plays with their hand down. With 73, only Maxx Crosby has more. Crosby is out for Week 18, meaning Heyward could take the position group lead. But the Philadelphia Eagles Jordan Davis (70) is hot on his heels.
Heyward needs to continue his stout run defense against Baltimore’s red-hot running game.
TE Pat Freiermuth – 65 Yards From 500
As Dave Bryan noted earlier this week, Freiermuth will need a big game to finish above 500 for the season. It’s been a difficult year for him of volatile involvement. But after Pittsburgh’s poor passing game showing last week, the Steelers may recalibrate and lean on Freiermuth more. Baltimore has been playing increased levels of zone coverage since its man coverage getting toasted by Pittsburgh in Week 14, and Freiermuth does his best work against zone.
Like Dave also noted, only one Steeler, WR DK Metcalf, has more than 500 yards this season. The last time they ended a season that way was all the way back in 1990 when Bubby Brister was the starter.
A 65-yard showing from Freiermuth could mean a big day for the offense and Steelers win.