Will the Steelers be stuck playing the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs?
The Steelers have relinquished control of so many aspects of their playoff destiny over the past month. They went from vying for the No. 1 seed to now needing help to earn the top Wild Card spot. In case you haven’t been watching, let’s just say things aren’t good right now. And playing the Ravens again won’t make it any better, especially in Baltimore.
Not long ago, the Steelers merely had to beat the Ravens in order to win the AFC North. Even if they didn’t, they could still win the division simply by winning their final two games. Failing that, they could have still spared themselves the fate of playing the Ravens again by winning last night.
If you’re reading this, you undoubtedly know things didn’t go as planned. The Steelers stagger into the postseason on a four-game losing streak, and quite possibly into Baltimore. Pittsburgh no longer has control over the top Wild Card seed. If the Los Angeles Chargers win today, they will be the No. 5 seed. The Steelers will fall to the No. 6 seed—and the No. 6 seed plays the Ravens.
The Ravens ended the season in the exact opposite way as the Steelers—and they needed to. With four weeks to go, Baltimore needed to win out and needed the Steelers to lose out to claim the AFC North. While the Steelers had a rough schedule, it’s still shocking things played out as they did.
And the Ravens didn’t simply win—they ended the season with four blowouts. They scored over 30 points in each of those games, allowing under 11 per game. The Steelers were the most competitive in a 34-17 loss, the game turning on a critical late pick-six. Things could always go differently the next time, of course, but it’s better to be avoided. In recent weeks, things that have ordinarily been going their way have not.
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 regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. 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.
