When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field Saturday in Baltimore, they’re going to be playing for more than just a win over their bitter rivals. Beating the Ravens will give the Steelers will their first AFC North title since 2020.
And winning your division guarantees you a home playoff game at a minimum. So just how important is that for the Steelers? Dan Orlovsky thinks that it’s paramount for the Steelers to have any sort of hope in the playoffs. That’s because he feels QB Russell Wilson is worse than only Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix in the AFC playoff picture.
“If we’re taking the teams that are gonna be in the AFC playoffs, more than likely, Mike Tomlin will go in quarterback-wise behind everybody but Denver,” Orlovsky said on Thursday’s episode of First Take. “He would have the lesser quarterback. Yes, there’s always a chance, but I would not expect them to beat Kansas City. I would not expect them to beat Buffalo. I would not expect them to beat Baltimore. I don’t think I would expect them to beat the Chargers.”
“In this year’s playoffs … the only game [Mike Tomlin] would go into with an advantage at quarterback would be Denver.” 😯 @danorlovsky7 tells @stephenasmith why the Steelers need to win the AFC North more than the Ravens 👀 pic.twitter.com/kpeoJ5fzdN
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 19, 2024
After the Steelers’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, it makes sense that analysts would put them a rung below teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. But the Steelers have already beaten the Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers this season.
We know Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is having a terrific year, but he seems to struggle repeatedly against the Steelers. And as for Orlovsky’s assertion that Wilson would be the lesser quarterback in every matchup other than against the Denver Broncos, he is playing better than Chargers QB Justin Herbert.
Wilson is completing 64.7 percent of his passes with 8.1 yards per attempt and has thrown for 13 touchdowns in eight starts. Herbert is completing 63.9 percent of his passes with 7.4 yards per attempt and has thrown 16 touchdowns passes in 14 starts.
So yes, having a home-field advantage is something every team wants come playoff time. And it can certainly provide a boost when playing superior teams. However, as Stephen A. Smith said on First Take, quarterback play is only part of the equation.
“Your defense makes up for a lot, too,” Smith said. “And you also have other weapons on the offensive side of the ball. I’m saying to you this. The Steelers have won games where they didn’t necessarily have an advantage at quarterback.”
There is no question that the Steelers want to win the AFC North. TE Pat Freiermuth is excited to play in his first NFL game with the potential to clinch the division. Winning the division is the first goal of every NFL team. But to act like the Steelers need to win the division to have any chance of winning in the playoffs based on the quarterback matchups seems a bit overblown.
