After losing three games in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff field. For them to get in, the Steelers are more than likely going to have to win three straight games, and they know they can’t get in on shaky ground. Jamie Erdhal shared on Good Morning Football this morning that in a production meeting ahead of the Steelers-Colts Week 15 matchup, T.J. Watt said the Steelers can’t be driving a “rickety truck” into the postseason if they make it.
“In our meeting with the Steelers, T.J. Watt said, ‘If we even get to the playoffs, you don’t want to be driving a rickety truck, a rickety car. You wanna be driving a nice sturdy truck,'” Erdahl shared.
She’s of the opinion that Pittsburgh won’t be able to do much if it gets in.
“Even if the Steelers get there, they don’t have the makeup, I think, to sustain,” Erdahl said.
The last few times Pittsburgh has made the playoffs, it’s been a team driving a lemon into the playoffs. They made the playoffs in 2020 after losing four of their final five games in the regular season, and in 2021, they just barely snuck in at 9-8. Both seasons ended in blowout losses in the wild-card round. The difference this year is that if the Steelers get in, they’d be coming in hot, likely with three straight wins at the end of the season.
That doesn’t mean they would have a ton of confidence entering the postseason. The Steelers haven’t shown the capacity to handily beat any team this year, and it would likely be a few gritty wins at the end of the season to get them in. Going up against an AFC divisional winner in the first round wouldn’t be a good matchup for this team, which has struggled offensively all season, and it might be a familiar result with a first-round playoff exit.
At this point, it would take a miracle for the Steelers to get in, and it’s not something I foresee happening. If the Steelers might be driving a rickety truck into the playoffs, the truck they’ve been driving the last three weeks is the equivalent of an 18-wheeler with six wheels. They’ve been absolutely terrible, losing to two 2-10 opponents before getting embarrassed 30-13 by the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15. It’s worth noting that Watt’s comments came before the Colts game, and a win in that game would’ve significantly boosted Pittsburgh’s playoff odds.
At this point though, the Steelers feel like a sinking ship. If they can somehow manage to stay above water and make the playoffs, it probably wouldn’t be a pretty ride if they get in. For now though, their attention is on just beating the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday and trying to stay alive.
