NFL roundup: Pittsburgh Steelers expect Antonio Brown back for the playoffs

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 17: Antonio Brown No. 84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is walked off the field by trainers after landing awkwardly while attempting to catch a pass in the second quarter during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 17: Antonio Brown No. 84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is walked off the field by trainers after landing awkwardly while attempting to catch a pass in the second quarter during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

With the NFL Playoffs starting this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a bye, and expect their star wideout to be ready when they return to action.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to get to the top of mountain in the NFL, they are going to have to finally beat the New England Patriots. Last year, the Steelers were throttled by the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, though they were shorthanded due to injuries to some of their key players. Wide receiver Antonio Brown is still coming back from a calf injury, and he has missed games because of it, but the team expects him ready to go for the Divisional Round.

The Buffalo Bills made the playoffs for the first time since 1999 this past weekend, as they snuck into the big dance as the No. 6 seed. Their opponent in the AFC Wild Card round will be the Jacksonville Jaguars, who boast one of the best defenses in all of football. Luckily for the Jaguars, the Bills best offensive player may have to sit this one out, as star running back LeSean McCoy will be a game-time decision after being carted off the field in Week 17.

The New York Jets had Josh McCown under center for most of the 2017 NFL season, and the veteran had a career year. However, they have to start looking toward the future, and that could mean moving up in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Jets recently said they would consider moving up in the draft to take a quarterback, and there are certainly a bunch of big-name college quarterbacks in this draft class.

The finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced this week, and there are some huge names from which to choose. On the defensive side of the ball, guys like Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and John Lynch lead the way, to name a few. On offense, Edgerrin James, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens are a couple of former stars who could be enshrined next summer. The final vote for who gets in will take place on Feb. 3.

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While Case Keenum is fully entrenched as the starting quarterback in Minnesota, the team did get another one of their signal-callers back this week. Sam Bradford returned to practice for the Vikings, which is a great sign for Bradford long term. While his career in Minnesota is likely over, he still may be picked up by another team for next season, as the quarterback position in the NFL is pretty thin across the league.