Steelers May Have Big Decision To Make Depending On Ravens' Outcome In Week 17

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently set up with full control of the AFC North. With two games left, all they need is a single win or a loss from the Baltimore Ravens to officially claim the division title and be the home team for a playoff game. Since the Ravens play on Saturday, Pittsburgh may have the division locked up before all of its players go to bed before its game day. These next two contests may be meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but since nobody knows that yet, everyone still has to prepare for a tough matchup. 

For an injury-riddled team like the Steelers, being able to rest key players would feel like a blessing. The starters could get lots of time off, and numerous youngers players could get an opportunity to shine. The team would enter January with some of the best health out of any team in the playoffs, and that can be a recipe for success in theory.

Even if the Ravens lose, that still likely won't happen, however. In his weekly Q&A chat, insider Gerry Dulac explained exactly what the downside is to resting everyone for two weeks. 

"I don't think you will see Mike Tomlin rest all his veterans for two weeks, if that's what you're asking," Dulac said. "That's a long time for a team to get rusty. Plus, they're playing well, and so is Rodgers. They don't want to slow that down. I can tell you, Rodgers doesn't want to sit for two weeks. That being said, he won't play those guys all the time. Maybe a quarter or two at most, just to keep them in some type of form. Sitting guys for two weeks does more harm than good."

There is a fine line between rest and rust. Sitting the starters for two weeks would mean the team risks crossing that line, and then they are once again woefully unprepared for the first game of the playoffs. Head Coach Mike Tomlin likely knows that, and he would just coach his Week 17 game like he would any other week to make sure everyone plays enough and doesn't get too rusty for the postseason. 

With that all said, Week 18 would be the one where the key veteran starters would likely miss time. One week of rest is fine, and it shouldn't lead to a lot of rust. Beating the Ravens is very important, but not having your top players get injured in a likely meaningless game is even more important. Play hard Week 17 to earn a pseudo-bye week and spend two weeks preparing for the Wild Card Round. That is likely the gameplan.

Older players like Cameron Heyward and Aaron Rodgers would definitely benefit from a week off. As Dulac said, Rodgers would probably be opposed to Tomlin benching him for two weeks; he would make sure he plays in Week 17 no matter what. The fact that the Steelers had a Week 5 bye makes the need for a win and the right to rest everyone in Week 18 much more paramount.

Steelers Have Unusual Decision To Make For Week 18

While there is that fine line between rest and rust, what should Tomlin do about the injured players that could return for the season finale? Guys like TJ Watt and Nick Herbig may already be rusty and could benefit from a tune-up game, but would that be worth the risk of them getting injured again? This may not be as clear-cut of a decision as it is to make sure every key starter plays against the Ravens to end the season. 

What do you think about the Steelers playing hard in Week 17 before resting in Week 18? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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