5 best players who will not play in Week 16 feat. C.J. Stroud

Two weeks to go before the regular season ends and C.J. Stroud headlines another brutal week for NFL injuries. This is time when every team is fighting for the playoffs and often it comes down to which franchise has their top players available. In Week 16, we look at the five players, whose absences will rob the fans of great plays and their clubs of the cutting edge.

#5 - Joey Bosa, LB, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are 5-9 and on the brink of elimination. They face the Buffalo Bills in the coming week. Justin Herbert is out for the season, head coach Brandon Staley has been fired and everything looks to be coming apart. Last time they were on the field, they were mauled 63-21 by the Las Vegas Raiders.

And that is why the loss of Joey Bosa will hurt so much. They scored 21 points last time out with having their franchise quarterback. So, even though someone like Keenan Allen is missing, they know how to go around that. But when a defense concedes more than 60 points in a game, it needs its stalwarts to come back and salvage pride.

Without Joey Bosa putting the pressure on Josh Allen, there is a chance that it could get ugly again. The Chargers need to get his foot to heal not to make the playoffs but to restore some honor back into the team.

#4 - Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Pittsburgh Steelers

Minkah Fitzpatrick will not take the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers with an injury to his knee. He did not feature in practice and is out for the game. The Steelers are 7-7 going into Week 16, which is terrible considering they have lost three straight games. Two of them have been to 2-10 teams: the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals. At one point, they were among the favorites to make the playoffs, but now they are on the outside looking in.

To have any chance of making it to the postseason, they have to reverse their form. They play the Cincinnati Bengals in a divisional matchup and a win for them will tie both teams with a 8-7 record. If Pittburgh loses, they are two games behind and nearly out of the reckoning for the playoffs.

With Damontae Kazee suspended for the season after the brutal hit to Michael Pittman Jr. in their last game against the Colts, the safety position is deeply compromised. Not having Minkah Fitzpatrick will not make their task any easier.

#3 - Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

In modern NFL, the quarterback is the most important position. Even though Kenny Pickett is no Ben Roethlisberger, there is a reason why he is the starter. The Steelers have had offensive issues all year and they fired Matt Canada in the middle of the season. But without their starting quarterback, Pittsburgh is really struggling.

His ankle injury has still not gone away completely for him to return in time for Week 16 and he will be a huge miss. For all their issues on defense, it is the offense that is more of a problem for Mike Tomlin. As the head coach looks to guide them to the playoffs and maintain his winning record in every season, Kenny Pickett's absence can have a major role to play in those aspirations.

#2 - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

First the Cincinnati Bengals lost Joe Burrow for the season. Losing the highest-paid quarterback in the league is going to be a blow for any team, as it was for them. But they have since rebounded with Jake Browning and made a credible case to make it to the postseason. They have an 8-6 record and are facing a Pittsburgh Steelers team that has lost three straight and is short of form.

But now that they are missing their star wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, with a shoulder injury, the task becomes more complicated. They know that a win will be huge as it will put them two games ahead of the Steelers. But a loss and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh will be tied with the same record. In this pivotal matchup, the loss of the Bengals' main offensive weapon could shape the story of both teams' seasons.

#1 - C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are 8-6 and are firmly in the hunt for playoff spots. They can go through the Wildcard route but they are not out of contention for the AFC South crown yet, either.

This was supposed to be a season of rebuilding but rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is the reason they are where they are. The quarterback suffered a concussion against the New York Jets in Week 14 and missed last week's narrow win against the Tennessee Titans. This week, they have formidable opponents in Cleveland Browns and would have hoped have C.J. Stroud available.

But that has not occured and the difference between them making the playoffs and winning their division could come down to this. As the season closes and the margins become smaller, it could be C.J. Stroud's unavailabilty that most Houston fans remember when the regular season finishes.