Things are rather dark and gloomy with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The franchise is in the midst of an ugly three-game losing streak, a standout wide receiver is under fire for a lack of effort and tone-deaf comments, key players are out with injuries, and confidence — at least externally — is waning in the long-time head coach.
It’s hard to find a positive about the Steelers right now.
But there is some good news (sort of) entering Saturdays’ Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium: the Steelers still have a shot at the playoffs.
Playoffs? You want to talk about playoffs? Playoffs?
I tried to channel my inner Jim Mora this morning there. But as bad as things seem currently regarding the Steelers, there is still hope for the playoffs, just like there was hope — and a chance — for Lloyd Christmas with Mary Swanson in “Dumb and Dumber” all those years ago.
According to NFL.com’s playoff probabilities, the Steelers sit at just a 7% chance of making the postseason after losing three straight games. That is bleak, but they aren’t eliminated — yet. Much will ride on Saturday’s matchup with the Bengals.
“Saturday’s loss to the Colts crippled the Steelers’ postseason outlook, eliminating any semblance of control they once had over their future. Pittsburgh, whose playoff probability is down 26 points since last week, will need several games to break just right to earn a ticket to the dance, starting with a win over the Bengals on Saturday afternoon,” Next Gen Stats writes for NFL.com. “From there, Steelers fans will need to throw their support behind the Chargers (against the Bills), the Falcons (against the Colts), the Patriots (against the Broncos) and — as difficult as it might be to stomach — the Browns (against the Texans).”
A 7% chance at the playoffs entering Week 16 against the Bengals might not seem all that promising and make no mistake about it: it isn’t. But it’s what anyone asks for: a chance.
Saturday’s game against the Bengals is meaningful. It’s an AFC North rival, it’s the Steelers’ last home game of the season, and it’s got a lot riding on the playoffs for the Men of Steel. You can’t ask for much more for a late December game.
If the Steelers can just find a way to take care of business against a Bengals team that seems to be peaking at the right time under backup quarterback Jake Browning, they’ll give themselves a chance (there’s that word again) to at least fight for another week. But there is so much that has to go right for Pittsburgh weekly that it seems rather impossible.
Crazier things have happened in the NFL though. You can’t dismiss it entirely. But it’s simply not a great place to be sitting in, not controlling your own destiny and needing outside help when it comes to the AFC playoffs.
