Happy Friday, and I hope yinz are doing well.
Welcome to 2024. The first football weekend of the new year has the Pittsburgh Steelers kicking it off. Their game against the Baltimore Ravens will lead off Week 18, a 4:30 PM/EST game that will begin shaping the team’s fate. With paths to make the playoffs in a win or a loss, a win still gives Pittsburgh much better odds of getting into the dance. They’ll be the favorites with the Ravens resting starters, highlighted by QB Lamar Jackson. Still, we may not know Pittsburgh’s playoff fate until the final game of the regular season, the Sunday night draw between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. A Bills loss and Steelers win gets Pittsburgh into the postseason.
A reminder that this will be the last week of the contest portion of our Friday Five. Thanks to everyone who has participated and good luck to those fighting for the win.
Win, lose, or draw, we’ll be here to recap and cover the game. As always, thanks for being here and supporting the site.
Peace and love, peace and love!
1 – For the final time this regular season we ask: Will the Steelers beat the Ravens?
2 – Ultimately, will Pittsburgh make the playoffs?
3 – Who rushes for more yards: Ravens QB Tyler Huntley or first-half rushing yards by Najee Harris *and* Jaylen Warren?
4 – Cam Heyward is currently tied with James Harrison for second all-time on the Steelers’ sack list. Will he break the tie in Baltimore?
5 – Will Mason Rudolph throw at least one touchdown pass?
Tiebreaker: How many yards will the Steelers rush for as a team (closest number wins, even if you go over)?
Recap of 2023 Week 17 Weekend Friday Night 5 Questions
Question 1: Pittsburgh slew Seattle (horse-racing buffs know what I did there) 30-23. The majority went with the Steelers. Twenty-three of 42 respondents (54.8%) picked Pittsburgh to win.
Question 2: Just 14 of 42 respondents (33.3%) said Steelers’ tight ends would receive under 4.5 targets. Pat Freiermuth the only Pittsburgh tight end targeted during the game. Freiermuth caught three of four passes thrown to him.
Question 3: A robust 31 of 42 respondents (73.8%) said the Steelers would not sack the quarterback at least four times. In fact, Nick Herbig’s strip-sack was Pittsburgh’s only sack of the game.
Question 4: Myles Jack received 31 of 42 votes (73.8%) as the Steelers defender with most tackles. He came close with eight combined tackles. But Eric Rowe, who received just three votes, led the Steelers with 10 tackles.
Question 5: Chris Boswell drilled three field goals, but his longest was just 39 yards. Just 11 of 42 respondents (11.9%) said that Boz would not kick a 45-plus field goal in the game.
Here are the consensus responses of Steelers Depot respondents compared to the correct answers:
| Questions | Steelers Win? | TEs O/U 4.5 Targets | Steelers 4 or More sacks? | Steeler Most Tackles | Boswell 45+ Field Goal? |
| SD Consensus | Yes | Over | No | Myles Jack | Yes |
| Correct Answers | Yes | Under | No | Eric Rowe | No |
Steelers Depot respondents got two out of five correct!
No respondents swept the board by answering all five questions correctly and receiving 11 points (with the participation and five bonus points)! But Steely McBeam won for the second time this season by answering four of five questions correctly.
The tiebreaker not needed to determine this week’s winner. It was the 98 total yards gained by Jaylen Warren. The median response was 76.5.
Excellent job Steely McBeam! Please send me a DM (subBurgher on twitter or quarternelson on Instagram or email quarter_nelson@yahoo.com) with your PayPal address to receive your share of the winnings. Alternatively, you can kick your share back towards the next pot or donate it to the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Or new this season, opt for a Steelers Depot polo shirt in lieu of the cash prize. Entirely up to you, just let me know. Note: any unclaimed winnings will go to the Food Bank at the end of the season.
After 17 weeks, Steelers D almost has first place clinched. But Jason W in second and the third-place tie between yours truly and GhotiFish could be overtaken in the final week!
Going into the final week, 20 folks have answered every week. Another 14 only missed one week. Many thanks to the 90 participants in this year’s contest.
Here is 2023 Leaderboard after Week 17:
| SCREEN NAME | POINTS | PLACE | CHANGE |
| Steelers D | 81 | First | |
| Jason W | 74 | Second | |
| Beaver Falls Hosiery | 72 | Third (tie) | |
| GhotiFish | 72 | Third (tie) | +1 |
| Style Points | 71 | Fifth | -1 |
| Steven Small | 70 | Sixth | |
| Stone Age Tone | 69 | Seventh (tie) | |
| Peter-Petersen | 69 | Seventh (tie) | +1 |
| Ted Webb | 69 | Seventh (tie) | +1 |
| IC in Cincy | 69 | Seventh (tie) | +3 |
| Chris92021 | 68 | 11th | -1 |
| Six ring circus | 66 | 12th (tie) | +1 |
| Deep_derp | 66 | 12th (tie) | +2 |
| Beeze | 65 | 14th (tie) | -4 |
| Andi B | 65 | 14th (tie) | +1 |
| Doc Ellis D | 65 | 14th (tie) | +1 |
| Ratsotex | 65 | 14th (tie) | +3 |
| TommyG21 | 63 | 18th | |
| Greg Payne | 62 | 19th (tie) | |
| Douglas Prostorog | 62 | 19th (tie) | +1 |
| Pghomer | 60 | 21st (tie) | -1 |
| ValyrianSteelerJedi01 | 60 | 21st (tie) | -1 |
| Jeremy | 60 | 21st (tie) | +3 |
| GreenBastard | 59 | 24th (tie) | +1 |
| Steely McBeam | 59 | 24th (tie) | +4 |
| Buckeye Steel | 58 | 26th (tie) | -6 |
| DLFoot | 58 | 26th (tie) | |
| Agustin-ARG | 57 | 28th (tie) | -2 |
| Ken Sterner* | 57 | 28th (tie) | +4 |
| Lucky Beagle | 56 | 30th (tie) | -2 |
| B&G | 56 | 30th (tie) | -2 |
| Hoptown* | 56 | 30th (tie) | +2 |
| Slim Stew* | 56 | 30th (tie) | +6 |
*New to Leaderboard
