Pittman Is Out, and the Receiver Room Just Got Shorter

Michael Pittman Jr. is listed out, which means Pittsburgh's passing game heads into the playoff stretch without its third option. DK Metcalf leads the group at 892 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Calvin Austin III has been the next man up, and Pat Freiermuth has been reliable out of the tight end spot with 504 yards and four scores. That's a workable trio. It's also a short one.

Roman Wilson is active and shows up third on the depth chart at receiver, so he's the name to watch for expanded snaps. Brandon Smith and Brandon Johnson are ahead of him on that chart, though none of the three have the kind of season-long production that makes Pittman easy to replace. Pittman's absence doesn't gut the offense, but it removes a layer that a contending team in the playoffs would prefer to have.

Pittsburgh clinched at 10-7, first in the AFC North. The margin for error in January is thin by definition, and this team has already been navigating a secondary that's been short-handed for weeks. Now the offense is dealing with its own attrition. Rodgers has managed the year well — 3,468 yards, 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions — and the skill around him is still good enough. But good enough and comfortable are two different things, and this team has been operating closer to the former all season.