Less than a week ago, things were looking up for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada had given outsiders a jolt of confidence of better days to come. They were still 7-4 and well-positioned to make the postseason. It was in their control to win the division, even, and maybe even earn a high seed.
The feeling is very different this Friday after they dropped two games at home to teams that had only won a combined four games on the season. The Arizona Cardinals and then the New England Patriots both put it to them, the latter jumping out early, the former pulling away late.
So what’s next? The Steelers have a longer break before they have to play again next Saturday. Can they right the ship? Can they turn things around? “Definitely”, CB Joey Porter Jr. said after the game, via audio provided by the team’s media department. “We ain’t got no choice but to, so yeah”.
Technically, they don’t have any other choice but to try, but it’s another matter entirely as to whether they succeed. And I don’t suspect many people will be betting on them to do so at this point. They have lost two games in a row for the first time this season and just lost their ostensibly two easiest games remaining on the schedule.
Up next are the surprisingly still effective Indianapolis Colts, who have continued to push forward with QB Gardner Minshew and now RB Zack Moss. At 7-5, along with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans, they are currently pushing Pittsburgh out of playoff seeding, the only team with a winning record in the conference on the outside looking in.
After that, it’s the Cincinnati Bengals, who are looking better adjusted after losing QB Joe Burrow, scoring a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. That will be their final home game before playing the fading Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens in the finale. So how do they stay in the mix until the end?
“Put our head down and keep working. That’s all we can do”, Porter said. “This is my first time around the block, my first time experiencing all this, but I know I’ve just got to keep working, so that’s what we’re gonna do”.
The rookie added that he feels like everyone on the team has to look in the mirror and get ready for the next game. “We can’t just keep downing over this loss”, he said. It’s time to move on, and they’ll have extra before they play again on Saturday, Dec 16.
Truth be told, nobody has been living on thinner ice all season than the Steelers. In a certain way, it’s remarkable that they were ever three games above .500 with the style of football they’ve played. A very good turnover margin had been the biggest factor. But they are now 1-4 on the season when they don’t win the turnover battle and 6-2 when they do. I think that tells you what you need to know about the margin for error they’ve had all season. Nothing’s changed except their luck.
