Are the Steelers buying their own “clean slate” in the playoffs talk?
It’s almost impossible to go into the playoffs with a four-game losing streak, but the Steelers are the third team to manage it. The reason for its difficulty is simple: good teams rarely lose four games in a row. And playoffs spots are often decided late in the season, so a four-game losing streak usually means you lose your spot.
The Steelers, however, managed to go 10-3 before entering the playoffs on a 0-4 skid. Of course, they played some of the best teams, particularly some of the best offenses, in the NFL. Even in some games in which the score looked like a blowout, they were in them—until they weren’t. Crucial mistakes have tended to doom them lately, mistakes they hadn’t been making.
One area in which the Steelers did improve going into the playoffs is in communication, particularly on defense. They even managed to hold the Bengals to 19 points, which is pretty good. Of course, their previous three opponents all scored at least 27. And offensively, they didn’t even manage 200 yards, at home.
Yet they were in that game, right down to the end, really. They hurt themselves along the way—repeatedly, but they still had a chance to win. And had the Steelers won, they would be playing the Texans in the playoffs instead of the Ravens.
Another game against Baltimore doesn’t feel like the cleanest of slates, though, does it? How do you wipe the taste of a four-game losing streak out of your mouth? A number of Steelers talked about a clean slate going into the playoffs, but do they believe it? They say nobody cares about your record, but the Ravens know the Steelers haven’t won in what will be over a month.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The playoffs are here, following a grueling regular season. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
