At 10-3, things were looking really good for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many thought they could finally win a playoff game and potentially even compete for a spot in the Super Bowl. Boy, have things changed. Three straight blowout losses dropped Pittsburgh to 10-6, with many now thinking of the Steelers as “frauds” and a first-round wild-card playoff exit.
In CBS Sports’ Week 17 grades, John Breech echoed these sentiments.
“This team feels like it’s fading fast, and with three straight losses, it will be a surprise if it gets out of the first round of the playoffs with the way it is currently playing,” wrote Breech.
The Steelers looked bad in all three games, with plenty of defensive communications breakdowns. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled. Part of that was due to the absence of superstar WR George Pickens. However, even with Pickens back on Wednesday, the Steelers suffered a 29-10 defeat in which they looked lifeless.
It is hard to argue with Breech’s comments. While yes, Pittsburgh did play three of the five best teams in football, I expected them to at least be competitive, even with a plethora of key injuries. Instead, they lost each game by double digits, with their worst defeat coming against Kansas City Chiefs with a close to fully healthy team. Even if the Steelers get matched up with an “easier” team like the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, Pittsburgh’s last three games don’t scream that they could beat them.
The Steelers are struggling with bad communication issues right now, and Texans QB C.J. Stroud tore up Pittsburgh’s defense last season. Sure, Stroud isn’t playing near the level he was last year, but Pittsburgh is just leaving players wide-open in the middle of the field. Surely, Stroud would be able to see his wide-open receivers and defeat Pittsburgh like he did last year.
But to even get to play Houston, the Steelers would have to take care of business next weekend against the hot Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh is a better team, but things seem to be spiraling right now. They need to use Week 18 as a “get right” game and really dominate the Bengals to give (and get) some confidence entering the playoffs.
