Tell us how you really feel, Pete Prisco.
In one of the most backhanded compliments of the day, CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, appearing on the Jacksonville Jaguars-centric podcast, praised Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for getting his team over the finish line and into the playoffs. Because in Prisco’s mind, the Steelers don’t belong.
“Pittsburgh has no business being in the playoffs,” Prisco said on the Jaguars Official Podcast Network. “Mike Tomlin has done one of his best coaching jobs of all-time. That team is bad.”
It’s a similar comment made by Rich Eisen Show producer Chris Brockman, who predicted the Steelers will get dog-walked by the Bills this weekend.
Three weeks ago, it was impossible to deny those words. Pittsburgh had just lost three straight, including two terrible losses at home to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in a span of five days, a pair of 2-10 teams that handled the playoff-hopeful Steelers. Questions over the team’s culture and Mike Tomlin’s future creeped into the mainstream for the first time in his 17-year Pittsburgh tenure.
Those things don’t get talked about anymore. Starting Mason Rudolph at quarterback, Pittsburgh’s won its last three games, blowing out the Cincinnati Bengals, besting a talented Seattle Seahawks’ team in their place, and grinding out a Week 18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The running game has clicked, the offense has an edge, and the defense is creating splash plays that were absent during the losing skid. They’ve counted on a variety of people to save their season, including former Jaguars LB Myles Jack, who unretired to sign with the Steelers and became an asset for their stretch run.
“Myles Jack is making plays at linebacker for them. He retired,” Prisco said.
Getting into the playoffs defied long odds. Winning a playoff game will beat even tougher ones. Not only are the Buffalo Bills two-score favorites, the Steelers haven’t had recent success during Wild Card weekend. They’ve lost their last three games in ugly fashion, either blown out or upset at home. Defensively, they’ve allowed far too many points and offensively, they’ve started too slow and been forced to play catch-up.
That won’t be a recipe to beat the Bills. Josh Allen’s group can score at will and the Steelers need a strong and consistent running game to keep Buffalo’s offense off the field. Falling behind early will end in disaster and similar outcome to the team’s previous three playoff appearances, extending their postseason victory drought to seven seasons. But if they win, Prisco can’t just keep giving Tomlin the credit. Pittsburgh will be a better team than he’s willing to admit.
