After their loss to the Cleveland Browns, there was a sense of pessimism regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff hopes. They had a great record at 8-3, but some were worried that their surprising loss showed some of the roster’s weaknesses. While Pittsburgh wasn’t perfect on Sunday, they earned a very impressive win against the Cincinnati Bengals and have quieted some of those talks.
That win inspired much more hope around the franchise. The Bengals have struggled this year, but they still possess one of the most potent offenses in the league. As such, the Steelers’ defense struggled a bit at times. However, the fact that Pittsburgh was able to win a shootout against such a talented offense is very encouraging.
That win did give Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd some encouragement regarding the Steelers’ playoff chances. On The Herd on Tuesday, Cowherd compiled a list of the top teams in the NFL and ranked the Steelers sixth. Despite that ranking, he remains cautious about their overall Super Bowl chances.
“I think their [Steelers] ceiling’s a little bit low,” Cowherd said. “But, they’re 5-0 against teams that are .500 or better. It’s a classic Mike Tomlin recipe. His teams have always played well as underdogs or backed into a corner. Russell Wilson, say what you want, a passer rating in the fourth quarter of 120. He’s good when it matters. To me, that’s a team that can win a playoff game or two.”
The five teams Cowherd listed ahead of the Steelers were the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills. With that in mind, the ‘ceiling’ Cowherd is talking about could be those teams’ offensive prowess. Pittsburgh was electric on Sunday, but those teams have been considered more explosive on offense than Pittsburgh for much of the season.
However, Cowherd does give some well-deserved praise to Russell Wilson. He references Wilson’s passer rating in the fourth quarter, which is 119.7 to be exact. The only QB with a higher rating in the fourth is Tyrod Taylor, who only had eight attempts in that period. Wilson’s making plays when it matters, for the most part.
That seems enough for Cowherd to feel confident about the Steelers’ playoff hopes. He doesn’t seem too excited about their Super Bowl hopes, though. Pittsburgh does play the Chiefs and Eagles toward the end of the season, so they still have a chance to climb even higher in the rankings.
