The teams that go on surprise runs in the playoffs are often the teams that are peaking at the right time. While some teams will peak halfway through the season and find themselves on the decline by the time the playoffs start, the teams that peak at the right time are truly dangerous.
Just ask the 2020 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went 11-0 before finishing the season by losing five of their last six. They were one-and-done in the playoffs. Conversely, the 2005 Steelers rode a four-game winning streak into the playoffs and continued that all the way to a Super Bowl championship.
According to one analyst, the Steelers may have peaked earlier in the season and are now on a downward slope as they approach the playoffs.
“There’s no question here. The Steelers have had a good season. They’ve overachieved,” said Danny Parkins via FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “They played great and then they played Baltimore in that game in Week 11 and they won it, right? It was what, 18-16? And then since then it’s been really bad. Now, some of that’s playing the Eagles, some of it’s not having George Pickens…there’s a bunch of little reasons in there, but there’s a real chance that they peaked in Week 11.”
It’s hard to push back much on Parkins’ conclusion for the time being. After winning eight of 10 to start the season, the Steelers have lost three of their last five. Two of those were to elite teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, but they also lost to the three-win Cleveland Browns.
If you take out the 44 points scored against the Bengals, the Steelers are averaging 19 points in the other four during that stretch. They’ve also allowed 27.4 points per game over the last five. Compared to their season average of 19.9 points per game against, that’s not a great figure.
They have an opportunity ahead of them to put an exclamation mark on the end of the season. Beating the Kansas City Chiefs, sweeping the Bengals, and winning the AFC North would offer plenty of momentum to turn around the current trend, but that is much easier said than done. The Chiefs have lost one game this year. The Steelers at least get to host them, but it could very well end up a continuation of the negative trend.
Unfortunately, the Steelers may end up with consecutive years with three-game losing streaks in the month of December. That’s a far cry from Mike Tomlin’s famous “unleash hell” line about December football.
Even with a playoff spot locked up, it feels like their season hangs in the balance on Christmas Day.
Have they peaked, or do they still have a chance to reach higher highs and get over the hump to win in the playoffs?
