The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without DeAngelo Williams for the AFC Wild Card Round game against the Cincinnati Bengals after the running back suffered an ankle injury in Week 17. Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman will be the main running back options for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Saturday for the playoffs matchup in Cincinnati.
Williams injured his ankle against the Browns in the final game of the regular season and he was officially ruled out on Friday for the wild card game, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Williams was unable to practice this week, but the running back is expected to be healthy enough to play in the next round of the playoffs if the Steelers win over the Bengals. The Steelers would match up with the Broncos in Denver if they win over Cincinnati this weekend.
Williams has been a key player for the Steelers this season after he originally was supposed to be the backup for Le'Veon Bell. Bell was suspended for two games to start the season and that put Williams in a featured role and after Bell suffered a season-ending injury, Williams re-took the starting job. Williams had a strong season with 907 yards and 11 touchdowns, but now the Steelers will have to find a way to win without him on Saturday.
Toussaint came in in Week 17 and received the majority of touches over Todman with Williams out and that likely will be the lineup for the wild card game. Toussaint had 18 carries for 42 yards this season and had 24 yards in the game against the Browns, while Todman has had four carries for 22 yards in 11 games in 2015. Both players should get chances on Saturday for the Steelers and the team could go with the hot hand through the game against the Bengals. Toussaint was active for the Steelers over the final five games of the season and head coach Mike Tomlin praised his work ethic over the last month.
The Steelers will be facing a backup quarterback on Saturday against the Bengals, as Andy Dalton has been ruled out and that means AJ McCarron will start again for Cincinnati. According to Pro Football Talk, the team announced that Dalton remains out with a thumb injury and it is still uncertain if he will be able to return for the playoffs. Dalton could potentially come back if the team makes it to the divisional round, but he does not have a set timetable to return.