Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers play the waiting game.
After handling business Saturday, Sunday will determine Pittsburgh’s playoff fate. If the Jacksonville Jaguars or Buffalo Bills lose, the Steelers are in. If not, Pittsburgh is sitting on the couch next weekend. They’ll spend today at home, waiting to find out if their postseason or offseason is beginning.
And they’ll be using that time in different ways. Speaking to reporters after yesterday’s 17-10 win against the Baltimore Ravens, each player and person had a different plan. Or no plan at all.
Mason Rudolph – Drink A Beer, Watch The Game
We call it the “King of the Hill” method. Yep. Starting and winning all three of his games this year, Rudolph will kick back, crack open a cold one, and see how the dust settles.
“I’m just gonna watch some games tomorrow,” Rudolph told reporters in his postgame presser via the team’s YouTube channel. “And have a beverage probably and watch it and see what happens. We can’t control it, but we did our part today and that’s all you can do.”
I assume that beverage isn’t a Capri Sun. While a three-game skid is the reason why the Steelers need help, Rudolph is the reason why they have hope. Winning all three starts, Rudolph walked the line between big plays (three touchdown passes of 65-plus yards) and taking great care of the ball (zero interceptions) while the offense looked as fluid and productive as it has in two years. That beverage is well-deserved, and Rudolph made himself money this offseason with whatever team he signs with come March.
Najee Harris – Rise and Grind
Let’s just say Najee Harris isn’t turning on NFL Red Zone and chilling throughout the day. His mission is to watch the tape on himself and whoever is next…if there’s a someone next.
“I gotta watch film on this game,” he said after the game. “Really just things I need to get better at. And then if we’re in, then we’re in. And just watch film on whoever we’re playing next.”
Harris has a workmanlike attitude that matches how he’s been used the last three weeks. A key cog offensively, the Steelers have put the ball in his hands to close out wins against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens. Over his final three games, he rushed for 312 yards and four touchdowns while seeing 27 and 26 carries over these last two games. On a rainy day yesterday when the passing game was limited and Jaylen Warren had ball security issues, Harris was the team’s go-to guy.
Will Harris at least have ESPN alerts on? Or go on Twitter and check the NFL account? No. And no.
“I just get a message. We’ve got a group message. They’ll say we’re in. Or they’ll say, ‘sorry.'”
It’s a secret-agent approach – your mission is the playoffs, should you choose to accept it – but he’s done more than enough for the offense that he can find out however way he chooses. So long as he’s ready for next weekend if there’s a game to be played. There’s no doubt he will be.
Cam Heyward – Goodbye, Eyelids
On and off the field, Cam Heyward is locked in. Don’t think he’s going to blink even once during tomorrow’s pivotal games, Jacksonville versus Tennessee and Buffalo versus Miami.
Speaking to NFL Network reporter Sherree Burruss after the game, Heyward joked about his Sunday “relaxing.”
“I’ll cut off my eyelids like Mike T said,” Heyward said. “And we’ll stay tuned.”
But seriously. Keep the eyelids intact. Pittsburgh’s already lost one of its top defenders.
It’s been a self-admitted difficult year for Heyward, tearing up his groin in Week One and returning from a serious injury midseason for the first time in his long career. Now, he’ll look to do something he hasn’t done since 2015. Win a playoff game. He has just one postseason victory, the ’15 Wild-Card game against Cincinnati, losing the six others he’s played in. To snap the streak, Pittsburgh’s gotta get in the dance first.
Mike Tomlin – *Shrug Emoji*
The man with the answer for everything, Tomlin admitted he doesn’t know what he’s doing tomorrow. He’s on the line between getting an entire organization ready for the postseason or the offseason. One of them will begin by Sunday night.
“I don’t know yet,” he said via the team’s YouTube channel. “I hadn’t thought about it. Like I said, we were more concerned about the variables that we had control over. Those other ones are less important. We did what we needed to do this weekend.”
And now all that’s left to do is wait. By Monday morning, Pittsburgh will either start a long offseason or the hopes of an extended postseason berth.
