Sunday was a long and brutal one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only did they fall to the Arizona Cardinals, 24-10, but several key players went down with injuries, including edge rusher T.J. Watt, who blasted the NFL for it after the game.
Speaking with reporters after the loss, Watt fired a shot at the NFL. He argued that the league has a vendetta against him, claiming that a blatant, uncalled holding penalty contributed to his injury.
"I don't know. The NFL has something against me, so I don't want to talk any more negatively towards them," Watt said via the Steelers. "I don't know what I did, but I'll leave it at that."
Watt left the game early in the fourth quarter and was favoring his right ankle on the sidelines. However, he returned with his ankle taped after a trip to the blue medical tent. Following the loss, Watt downplayed the injury, saying "I'm good" when asked about his status.
While Watt emerged relatively unscathed, several teammates weren't so lucky. Quarterback Kenny Pickett could potentially miss some time after suffering a right ankle injury, while fellow starters left guard Isaac Seumalo and inside linebacker Elandon Roberts also left with injuries.
Watt, who finished with six tackles (one for loss) and half a sack in Sunday's loss, is a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. He's registered a half-sack or more in six straight games and trails only Los Angeles Chargers edge Khalil Mack (15) for the league lead in sacks with 14.
As for Watt's squad, the Steelers have dropped two of their last three games, falling to 7-5 following a stunning defeat against the Cardinals, who've won for only the second time in 10 weeks.
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