Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett undergoes tightrope surgery
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenney injured his right ankle on Sunday and will miss several weeks while recovering from surgery. Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky will start for the Steelers in Pickett's place until he returns.
The Steelers (7-5) are in the thick of the playoff hunt. They recently fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada because his playmaking was stale.
The Steelers have experienced a quick turnaround before taking on the New England Patriots on "Thursday Night Football" this week. The Patriots (2-10) are struggling with their offense and are a +5 underdog heading into Week 14's game at Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are 7-5 against the spread (ATS) this season. The Patriots are the worst betting team in the NFL this season with a 2-10 ATS record.
Pickett Down, Mitch Trubisky Time
Pickett has been dealing with an ankle injury that he aggravated in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Pickett left late in the second quarter and Trubisky ended the game.
The Cardinals defeated the Steelers 24-10 to improve to 3-10 on the season.
Pickett was diagnosed with a severe ankle sprain and elected to undergo rope surgery. In 2020, while attending Pitt, he underwent similar surgery on his other ankle. He was back in action four weeks later.
The Steelers did not place Pickett on IR. But he certainly won't be playing against the Patriots in just one week.
Pickett has missed three games this season due to injury. Trubisky came on as a backup in all three games the Steelers lost.
Mitch has been a quarterback before," head coach Mike Tomin said."He feels very comfortable in these shoes. When he's special, he doesn't act like a stand-in, and I think those are the things that make him attractive. "
Trubisky, a former No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, has a 31-24 career record as a starter, primarily with the Chicago Bears. Trubisky went 2-3 as the Steelers' starter last season.
In three games this season, Trubisky has completed 59.2% of his passes, advanced 273 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Another injured quarterback in the AFC
If the season ended today, the Steelers would have the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens (9-3) are first in the AFC North and the Steelers are second. The Cleveland Browns (7-5) are third in the division and the Cincinnati Bengals (6-6) are last but still in the lead.
The Steelers are one of four potential AFC playoff teams that could use a backup quarterback in Week 14.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence sprained his ankle in overtime on "Monday Night Football." Replacement C.J. Bayard will start if Lawrence is unable to play Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns are currently the sixth seed. They lost Deshaun Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury. Rookie backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson is currently recovering from concussion treatment, so veteran Joe Flacco will be the starter.
The Indianapolis Colts are currently the seventh seed and could become the third and final AFC Wild Card team. Backup Gardner Minshew has started for the Colts since rookie quarterback Anthony Thompson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Bengals are on the playoff bubble but have a backup quarterback. Starter Joe Burrow was lost for the season due to a wrist injury, and substitute Jack Browning started the final game.
Still betting on Steelers despite Pickett's injury
The Ravens are the consensus favorite to win the AFC North at -600, followed by the Steelers (+800), Browns (+850) and Bengals (+15,000). According to Upshot, the Ravens have an 86% chance of winning the division title. The Steelers have a 7% chance and the Browns have a 6% chance.
The Steelers have five games remaining, three of which are on the road. They will face the Patriots on Thursday and the Bengals in Week 16. They'll watch the Colts in Week 15, the Seattle Seahawks on New Year's Eve and end the season in Baltimore against the Ravens in Week 18.
In addition to the Ravens, three other teams in the AFC North are competing for three AFC wild-card spots. According to Upshot, the Browns have a 59% chance of making the playoffs, while the Steelers have a 52% chance.The Bengals have less than a 1 percent chance of being the playoff champions.
According to DraftKings' NFL Futures Council, the Steelers have a +3,500 chance of winning the AFC Championship and a +7,500 chance of winning Super Bowl 58.
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