The bad news is that the Steelers have gotten blown out in three consecutive games. The good news is that they have already clinched a playoff spot and have shown the ability to beat playoff teams this season.
Can the Steelers regain the form that got them to 10-3? If they can, they can probably get past their potential wild card matchup. What you don’t want to see is them completely implode and fail to win a playoff game for an eighth straight year.
Since the Steelers franchise defining dynasty in the 70’s, the Steelers never went more than four straight seasons without winning a playoff game. They did so from 1985-1988 at the end of Chuck Noll’s tenure, and Bill Cowher never went more than three seasons without a playoff win. Mike Tomlin has gone four straight seasons from 2011-2014 and now seven straight from 2017-2023.
The point is that this isn’t normal for the Steelers, and it shouldn’t be accepted. Mike Tomlin shouldn’t get praised just because he kept his teams consistently relevant. There should be a higher standard.
The Steelers still have a chance to make some noise this season and finally get a playoff win. They can’t be too discouraged over the last three games, but they should be motivated to go into the playoffs better than what they were.
Pittsburgh still has a chance at winning the division, it is unlikely though. They need to beat the Bengals while the Ravens need to lose to the 3-13 Browns. The Browns already beat Baltimore once this season, it will be a tall task to see that happen again.
The Bengals still have a chance to squeak into the playoffs themselves. If they beat the Steelers, they would then need both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose to get into the playoffs. That is all unlikely to happen, but it is enough to make the Bengals motivated in their last game.
If the Steelers end up not winning the division and get the No. 5 seed, then they would play at 9-7 Houston in the Wild Card. That might be a better matchup than having to play what would most likely be the Chargers if the Steelers won the division.
The first game against the Bengals was a shootout. It was a rare moment for the Steelers offense to shine when they are usually just hoping to not lose the game while the defense wins it.
Neither the offense or defense is particularly impressive right now though. The Steelers would like to see a strong performance to boost team morale heading into the playoffs with each unit playing well for a good team victory.
Besides, knocking any hope of making the playoffs out of the Bengals will make for a fun day.
Hopefully, the Steelers can find a way to put a positive spin on what is turning into a disappointing finish to the season. The playoffs are coming, so they need to play like it.
