ClutchPoints
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs as a result of a lucky miss by Baltimore Ravens PK Tyler Loop at the conclusion of the Week 18 game between the two bitter rivals. If Loop had been successful on his 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired, the Ravens would be getting ready to host the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
However, if Steelers PK Chris Boswell had been successful on his extra point attempt with 55 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter following Aaron Rodgers’ 26-yard TD pass to Calvin Austin, Loop’s FG attempt would have been to tie the score and not give the Ravens a victory. Pittsburgh won the game by a 26-24 margin and earned the AFC North title with a 10-7 record.
As a result, the Steelers get to host the dangerous Texans (12-5) in the Wild Card round. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has the top-ranked defensive team in the league, as the Texans allow just 277.2 yards per game. Houston ranks as the No. 2 defense in the league from a scoring perspective as the team allows 18.2 points per game.
Rodgers and head coach Mike Tomlin have a difficult assignment on their hands as they attempt to slow down a Houston team that is coming into the postseason with a 9-game winning streak.
The homefield advantage will mean quite a lot to the Steelers, but the return of star wide receiver DK Metcalf following his 2-game suspension should mean even more to the AFC North champions
The Steelers will want to establish a connection between Rodgers and Metcalf as soon as possible. Metcalf missed the final two games of the regular season after he threw a punch at a fan in Detroit in Pittsburgh’s Week 16 29-24 victory and drew a league-imposed suspension. The offense struggled the following week in a loss to the Cleveland Browns and didn’t find its stride until the late going against the Ravens in the final game.
Metcalf’s presence makes the Steelers a much more explosive offensive team and gives new enthusiasm to Rodgers.
Rodgers has performed quite well in his first season with the Steelers. The 42-year-old has completed 327 of 498 passes for 3,322 yards with a 24-7 TD-interception ratio. He was at his best in the final quarter against the Ravens when the Steelers needed 2 late touchdowns to eliminate the Ravens from title contention. Rodgers led the previously struggling offense on an 8-play, 65-yard drive for the first touchdown and then drove the team 65 yards on 6 plays for the winning score.
Accomplishing a come-from-behind victory when the Steelers needed it most without Metcalf in the lineup was a sensational achievement.
The return of Metcalf means the Steelers will have one of the best big-play threats in the NFL back on their side. Metcalf did not have huge numbers — he caught 59 passes for 850 yards...
