Behind the Steel Curtain
In Week 9, the Steelers dominated the AFC No. 1 seed Colts.
They followed up that performance with a blowout loss against the now-No. 5 seed Chargers in Week 10.
After a 4-1 start, the Steelers have dropped to 5-4 on the season — and the last two weeks have marked the team’s best win and worst loss of the season. What can be expected moving forward?
I still lean “yes” despite Pittsburgh’s recent losses. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers rosters are always good for a winning season, and the team has shown it can compete with the conference’s best despite looking like one of the worst teams in the league at times as well.
Still sitting atop the AFC North at midseason, this feels like yet another year where the Steelers will barely sneak into the postseason before losing their first playoff game.
However, it’s going to be close. The Steelers’ remaining schedule is as follows:
There’s not an easy win there. The Browns and Bengals are division rivals, and the Dolphins are a high-variance team that blew out the Bills in Week 10. The rest are currently in the playoffs.
Beyond that, Baltimore is rapidly catching up with the Steelers’ division lead. The Ravens are now 4-5 and on a three-game winning streak while the Steelers are 5-4.
Different playoff projections are sensing that the Steelers have already peaked this season, as well. ESPN has the Steelers at a 41.2% playoff chance, while NFL.com is even lower on the team at 39%.
What doesn’t help the Steelers’ chances is a competitive AFC playoff picture. The Colts, Broncos, and Patriots are all 8-2. The Chargers are 7-3. The Bills are 6-3.
The Steelers and Jaguars, each 5-4, would make the playoffs if the season ended today, but both are closely hounded by the in-the-hunt Chiefs (5-4), Texans (4-5), and Ravens (4-5). NFL.com has both Kansas City and Baltimore with playoff odds above 50% right now.
Still, just like the Steelers’ win over the Colts wasn’t representative of the entire season, neither is the loss to the Chargers.
Pittsburgh is going to win more games this season — and I still think it’ll be enough to slide into the postseason as a No. 7 seed. It’s a skill the Steelers have mastered in recent season.
But I’ll admit that it’s a hard position to defend after Sunday’s loss.
Do you think the Steelers will make the playoffs this season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
