Things don’t look all that great right now for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are banged up on both sides of the football and are struggling to execute in big spots, having lost two straight games in ugly fashion to drop into a tie with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North after their 34-17 loss Saturday on the road.
Despite all of that, the Steelers can still claim the AFC North crown by winning out. All they have to do is beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Christmas Day and then beat the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 18.
Seems easier said than done, but for Steelers quarterback and team captain Russell Wilson, having that opportunity in front of them, with the Steelers controlling their own destiny, is rather exciting and encouraging, even after a poor performance against the Ravens in a loss in which two Wilson turnovers loomed large.
Speaking with reporters after the loss to the Ravens, Wilson took the blame for the loss and said he’s going to lead by example by putting his head down and going back to work, embracing the opportunity in front of the Steelers.
“I think that we can’t worry about the next two. We just gotta worry about this next one coming up. We got to play on Wednesday. It’s gonna be a great environment coming back home in front of our fans. Obviously we’ve been on the road the past two weeks, so to play in front of our fans with the Terrible Towels and all that on Christmas Day is a special day,” Wilson said, focusing solely on the Christmas Day matchup with the Chiefs ahead, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “It’s gonna be a great battle, you know? And so, the best thing we can do is keep our head up. The best thing we can do is understand that the best days are ahead.
“We really believe that and who we are. And a lot of that’s because of our work ethic, and a lot of that is because of the belief of the guys that we have in the rooms.”
Things might be bad right now, but the positive attitude of a guy like Wilson has to resonate throughout the locker room. Yes, the loss stings, especially back-to-back losses like this. But the Steelers still control their own destiny, at least in the division.
They have to be singularly focused, much like Mike Tomlin stated after the game, and home in on the Chiefs on a short week. They can’t worry about winning out against the Chiefs and the Bengals unless they beat the Chiefs first. That’s where the focus has to be on a short week.
It’s starts by getting back to work Sunday.
“I think the best thing that we did today was we went for it. We had some great moments, like I said, and I think the best thing we can do is just look forward to playing in front of our fans, getting back home, and fighting for what we came here to do,” Wilson added regarding the upcoming matchup with the Chiefs. “And I think that opportunity’s still in front of us.”
The opportunity is still right in front of them. The Steelers never make it easy on themselves, that’s for sure. It’ll be a tall task to win out, but nothing is impossible. The Steelers need to get back to work, get healthy and clean up some of the mistakes that have plagued them the last two weeks, notably miscommunications and missed tackles.
Do that and they have a shot to seize upon the opportunity that is still right in front of them.
