Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders left the game Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Lions with a foot injury and will not return, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala.
Emmanuel Sanders injury: Steelers WR leaves due to foot
Ben Roethlisberger will be without another offensive weapon.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Sanders had been ineffective in the offensive slug-fest, catching one pass for two yards before leaving due to the injury. The focus will be on Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown to keep the Steelers on pace with a high-powered Lions offense led by Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.
The team will turn to rookie Markus Wheaton in Sanders' absence. He caught three passed for 26 yards entering Sunday and amassed 38 yards on three catches entering the third quarter against Detroit. He's a similar receiver with deep threat potential, but it's unclear whether that will be enough to counteract the Lions offense.
Detroit needs a win in order to extend its lead in the NFC North, while the Steelers are playing out a disappointing season with playoffs being close to an impossibility.
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