The Pittsburgh Steelers are a hot team entering the AFC Playoffs. Once left for dead, the team rattled off three straight wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens, the latter two on the road, to punch their ticket to the Wild Card Round. Not that they did it all on their own, they were aided by the Tennessee Titans beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18.

Regardless of how they got in, they are in the dance and now have a one-game season ahead of them. Next up on the docket? A trip to Orchard Park, NY to play the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers traveled to Buffalo last year in Kenny Pickett’s first start of his NFL career, and it wasn’t pretty. The 38-3 final score has scarred the majority of the fan base, but in the playoffs anything can happen.

As it pertains to those outside factors which can alter the course of a game, the Steelers have long relied on T.J. Watt to provide those plays. Sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions, tipped balls, and more. All of the ways Watt can impact a game for the Steelers now seem to be a thing of the past with Watt leaving the Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens with was is now known as a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

Could Watt pull another Superman and find a way to play in the game? Mike Tomlin met with media Tuesday and talked about the injury situation the team is facing heading into the postseason, and that, of course, included Watt’s knee injury.

As expected, Watt was ruled out by Tomlin for the upcoming game, and Tomlin didn’t shy away from the significance of not having Watt in the lineup. However, Tomlin did say he feels the Steelers are in a better spot this season than he can remember, as it pertains to the outside linebacker position replacing Watt.

With Markus Golden and Nick Herbig combined with Alex Highsmith the Steelers still have three capable pass rushers to help fill the void left by Watt. It becomes very clear on game days though how it is impossible to fill the void left by Watt, a Defensive Player of the Year winner.

All of the injury news wasn’t bad though, and Tomlin said he is “optimistic” they will have Minkah Fitzpatrick back in the lineup for Buffalo Sunday. Fitzpatrick missed the last three games with a knee injury, but did get back on the practice field prior to the Week 18 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens before being ruled out before the game.

Outside of Fitzpatrick potentially returning, Trenton Thompson (neck) and Damontae Kazee (suspension) could both return to the secondary this week as well. When facing the high-flying Bills, the Steelers will need all the help they can get, and getting some safeties back on the field to give them options not just at safety, but at cornerback with Patrick Peterson being able to flex to both cornerback and safety to help the secondary on all levels.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Bills on Sunday in the AFC Wild Card Round.