The Steelers have placed wide receiver Roman Wilson on injured reserve because of a finger injury. Yahoo Sports and ESPN both reported the finger injury. Pro Football Talk said only that he will be out of the lineup for an extended period.
Behind the Steel Curtain, citing Aaron Wilson, added the timeline: by rule, he will miss the team's next four games. That outlet also tied the injury to the Week 5 game against the Colts. None of the other four reports gave a timeline or a game. Our game log is consistent with that account. Wilson was targeted once against Indianapolis on Oct. 11 and did not catch a pass in the 34-22 Pittsburgh win.
ESPN called Wilson the second key receiver the Steelers have lost to injury in as many weeks. Behind the Steel Curtain says he joins fellow wideout Michael Pittman on IR. It also says the Steelers have elevated Brandon Smith. The feed text cuts off there, so we don't know what else the club did.
Wilson had been a regular part of the passing game before the injury. He has 14 catches on 25 targets for 188 yards and two touchdowns in five games, an average of 13.4 yards per catch. His best two games were back to back. He caught three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati on Sep. 27, then three for 74 and a touchdown, including a 49-yarder, at Cleveland on Oct. 1. He had six targets in each of those games and in his first three games.
Pittsburgh is 3-2 and third in the AFC North, with one win in its last game. It beat the Bengals 30-27, lost 27-24 at Cleveland and then beat Indianapolis. The Steelers scored 30, 24 and 34 in those three games. The receiver injuries come at a time when the offense is producing.
3-23rd in AFC NorthStreak W1
The first game without Wilson is Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is 1-4 and third in the NFC South. It is coming off a 24-16 win at Dallas, after losses to Green Bay and Minnesota. If the four-game minimum holds, Wilson is out for that game and the next three.
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