Does “winning a playoff game” really mean anything for the Steelers?
In case you haven’t heard, the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. While they reach the playoffs more often than not, they are rarely competitive once they arrive. Right now, they are in by far the longest drought in franchise history in the modern era. As a result, there is a level of desperation or urgency to use a more favorable term.
But is that a productive urgency that will benefit in the long run? As multiple reporters have suggested, the Steelers seem to be aiming to build a playoff-winning team—not a Super Bowl-winning team—because the former is attainable in the near term, while the latter is not.
That’s why you have the Aaron Rodgerses, the Russell Wilsons, and even the Mitch Trubiskys. These are quarterbacks the Steelers feel like they have a good enough roster to win a playoff game with. And the hope is that getting over that hump can serve as a springboard.
The Steelers faced a shorter drought after losing in the 2010 Super Bowl, even going two years without a playoff appearance. In 2014, they got back into the dance. A year later, they won a playoff game, and a year after that, they reached the conference finals. The momentum seemed to be in their favor until 2017, the year of Ryan Shazier’s 2017 injury. That injury decimated the defense, and the team was simply not the same thereafter.
The Steelers haven’t won another playoff game since then, so it’s been a while. But are they helping themselves by building a team capable of winning a Wild-Card-Round game? Could they be doing more harm than good by taking a short-term approach and moving further from championship contention?
Although in the vicinity, this isn’t the conversation about tanking. Obviously, anything that helps the Steelers land a legitimate franchise quarterback is something to discuss. But signing a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers starts out as a known half-measure. I don’t think anybody believes that signing him makes the Steelers a Super Bowl contender. Maybe they feel they could win a playoff game with him, but what then? What was the point? Are they better off, as a team, for it? Or are those in charge simply to benefit from facing a little less public pressure? It will be, “Well, at least they won a playoff game”, but it’s the encore that really matters.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defense matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
