As it stands currently, all four AFC North teams are in playoff spots with the Baltimore Ravens leading the division and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals all holding the three AFC wild-card spots. While there is still plenty of football left to be played, there are those who think that all four teams could hold on to those spots at the end of the regular season.
While the Steelers currently hold the fifth seed if the playoffs were to begin today, most people would say their method of winning games isn’t something that will last, especially in the playoffs. On Tuesday’s episode of Pro Football Talk Live, host Mike Florio and guest host Myles Simmons discussed their thoughts on which of the 5-3 teams in the AFC North don’t belong in the group. Florio pinpointed Pittsburgh as the team that doesn’t belong for all the wrong reasons.
“They’ll make it to the playoffs, potentially,” Florio said. “I’d say of the four teams in the AFC North, they’re the least likely to make it because they just can’t keep pulling rabbits out of their hat or elsewhere. But once they get there… they screw up the playoff field because they’ll play the two seed, get stomped, and that’s it. And if it doesn’t happen then, it’ll happen in the Divisional round. They are a blowout waiting to happen.”
Now that seems harsh for a team that is currently a Wild-Card team. However, two of the Steelers’ losses were blowouts to the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans. They tend to win ugly, close games if the defense is playing well. If the defense isn’t, then it gets ugly on the scoreboard. Florio pinpoints the disparity in how the Steelers’ offense is performing versus their opponents as a major reason why they won’t win the division and suffer a blowout loss in the postseason.
“As exciting as it is to watch the Steelers get outgained every single week, and they have, and still win more than half of their games, it’s not sustainable when the postseason rolls around,” Florio said. “Because they’re not going to win the division, I’d be stunned if they do, they’re not going to have home playoff games, they’re not going to hear ‘Oh mama, I’m in fear for my life,’ there’s going to be no ‘Renegade’ moment that carries them over the top on a day they’re being outplayed. It just isn’t going to happen for them.”
The Steelers have already set an NFL record as the first team to boast a winning record through eight games despite coming up short in yardage in every game. That speaks to an incredible ability to overcome adversity as well as an ability to avoid major adversity. Once the playoffs roll around, the adversity only becomes greater.
To be fair, QB Kenny Pickett does seem to perform at his best in the fourth quarter, a time when adversity is at its highest in a close game. He boasts a completion rate of just under 73% in the fourth quarter this season and has thrown for two touchdowns with a rating of 108.2, almost 17 points higher than the second-closest quarter, the third quarter.
That should give Pittsburgh fans hope. However, everyone would also like to see that performance surface in earlier quarters. That might help put the Steelers on better ground come the playoffs.
Also, the current No. 2 seed in the AFC? Baltimore, a team that the Steelers have already beaten this season. A bit more hope there as well.
You can watch the entire segment below, including Simmons’ talk about Cincinnati potentially winning the division and earning another AFC Championship Game berth.
