There’s only one thing to do in response to a tough loss: dig in and start winning games. That’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done following each of their past four losses, after opening on a three-game losing streak. They now sit at 8-6, at a crossroads, and needing to win their final two games in order to leave no doubt about their position in the postseason.
Pittsburgh entered the day with the possibility of taking control of the fifth seed if they were able to defeat the Buffalo Bills last night. With the loss, they relinquished that power, and now are no longer in the running for that seed. I’m not sure anybody can challenge Buffalo for it now, as the Tennessee Titans are also two games back now.
The Steelers have mounted winning streaks of four and three games, however, following each of their past two losses. They just need a two-game streak over the New York Jets and a Baltimore Ravens team that is likely to be resting a lot of its starters in the finale.
“Better win both damn games”, Cameron Heyward told Brooke Pryor of ESPN, sending a clear message as one of the team captains. Leave nothing up to chance. “If you want to be in, you must win them both. It starts with the Jets”.
The message going forward from Cam Heyward:
“Better win both damn games. If you want to be in, you must win them both. It starts with the Jets.”
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 16, 2019
That game will see a dubious reunion with former running back Le’Veon Bell, who spent his first five seasons in Pittsburgh before skipping the 2018 season and then signing with New York in free agency. The Jets haven’t exactly been what he was looking for on the field, but he seemed happy with the $27 million guaranteed.
Bell has 204 carries on the season for 676 rushing yards, averaging a career-low 3.3 yards per carry. He has just three rushing touchdowns, the same number he had in six games in 2015. He also has 57 receptions for 404 yards and one additional touchdown.
On paper, the Steelers should be able to more than handle the Jets, who have lost to teams like the Miami Dolphins, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Cleveland Browns. They do have four wins, none of which have come against a team with a winning record, though the Dallas Cowboys could finish with one.
“We control” our fate, offensive lineman Ramon Foster told Pryor. “We can’t go dig a hole for ourselves and think it’s over”. They had done a good job avoiding that after their last loss to Cleveland, responding with three straight wins. Now they need to rally one last time to finish out the season strong and make it into the second season.
Despite the 17-10 loss, the Steelers still hold the final AFC Wildcard spot. They win out or match the Titans’ record in the last two games, and they’re in.
“We control it,” Ramon Foster said. “We can’t go dig a hole for ourselves and think it’s over… https://t.co/VFREloPBxi— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 16, 2019
