The Pittsburgh Steelers have endured multiple changes of course, this season. At one point, they were 7-4 and controlled their own destiny for the playoffs or even the division title. Then a change at offensive coordinator and an injury to starting QB Kenny Pickett contributed to a three-game losing streak that put the season at risk.
Fast forward three weeks later, and the Steelers are playoff-bound with a road game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The NFL can be like that, and it serves as a lesson not to count chickens before they hatch. Some may have picked the Steelers to go 10-7, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who correctly plotted out the path to get there.
C Mason Cole spoke to the media during Monday’s availability and reflected on the ups and downs of the season.
“The game is crazy. The highs and lows in the season are so dramatic,” Cole said in a video of his availability posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Five weeks ago, it kind of felt like the world was ending, and here we are with a chance to go on the road and get a playoff victory.”
Through all the external noise speculating that the Steeler Way was over with or that Mike Tomlin had lost the locker room, the players kept their heads down and worked to bounce back. They now have an opportunity to rewrite the story of their 2023 season by advancing in the playoffs—something no Steelers team has done since the 2016 season.
They have made the playoffs three times since 2016 but lost in their first game all three times—including in the divisional round of the 2017 season following a first-round bye. It has been one of the major blemishes on Tomlin’s otherwise stellar record as a head coach.
“I know it’s been a while here in Pittsburgh that we’ve had a playoff win, and we’re gonna do everything we can to get it done this week,” said Cole.
The way the Steelers’ game was situated in Week 18, they had to win and then wait anywhere from 20 to 30 hours for the results of other games to determine their fate. For Cole, he was grateful that the Tennessee Titans took care of business early on Sunday. He didn’t even bother watching the Bills-Dolphins game once he knew the Steelers qualified for the playoffs.
“Once I knew we were in, I slept like a baby,” Cole said. “I had no trouble sleeping, so maybe the best sleep I’ve had in a while.”
