The past few weeks have been brutal for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After losing three straight games, it feels like all their momentum has evaporated. Players are frustrated, nothing seems to be working, and there’s only one regular-season game. Based on all of that, it could be easy to dismiss the Steelers going into the playoffs. However, former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly isn’t panicking.
“It’s not like they have an easy Week 18 game,” Kuechly said Monday on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. “I think you feel a lot better about yourself going into the playoffs after four wins in a row, rather than three or four losses in a row. To me, they’re a little bit like the Chiefs in that they’re veteran guys. Russ [Wilson] has been to the Super Bowl; he’s won a Super Bowl.
“[Mike] Tomlin’s won a Super Bowl; he’s won a million games. Then, on the defensive side of the ball, Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt. They don’t seem like a team that’s gonna get down in the dumps that they’ve lost three games. I think from coaches down to players on both sides of the ball, I think they’ll be alright.”
That’s a very level-headed response from Kuechly. It isn’t wrong to be concerned about the Steelers. Not only have they lost three straight games, but those losses have all been by double-digit points.
The Steelers are supposed to be elite defensively, but they’ve looked lost. Between missed tackles and miscommunication, saying they aren’t on the same page would be an understatement. For whatever reason, they aren’t living up to the standard.
The Steelers have maybe been even worse on the other side of the ball. They’re still starting slowly offensively, but now they aren’t getting that second-half surge that had been powering them. Turnovers have become a much more serious problem too. The Steelers were thriving by protecting the football, but lately, they’ve had a much tougher time doing that.
Despite all of that, Kuechly isn’t wrong that the Steelers have the right leadership to turn this around. Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL, and he’s seen and done almost everything in the league. Wilson has become a valuable leader for the Steelers as well.
Things look bleak for the Steelers, but their season isn’t over yet. If they can come out strong in Week 18 and beat the Cincinnati Bengals, those losses could become distant memories.
That might be easier said than done with the Bengals fighting to make the postseason, but the Steelers already beat them once this year. This game will be in Pittsburgh too. There’s a good chance for them to complete the season sweep. However, they won’t do that looking like they have over the last few weeks. The Steelers need to get their heads on straight if they want to prove Kuechly right.
