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The Pittsburgh Steelers got a huge win in Week 18 thanks to Tyler Loop’s missed field goal. Now the Steelers are AFC North champions and will host a home playoff game this weekend against the Texans. Pittsburgh has already exceeded expectations by finishing the regular season 10-7 and making the playoffs. But there is still a ton on the line for the storied organization.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers could be going on his last NFL playoff run at the age of 42. Plus there are rumors that head coach Mike Tomlin could possibly step away from Pittsburgh after the season.
Put all of that together, and the stakes simply could not be higher for the Steelers in the playoffs.
But urgency alone will not be enough to win football games in January. Pittsburgh needs to play at the height of their powers during the postseason. If they make even one mistake, they could easily be eliminated.
In fact, the Steelers look particularly vulnerable to me to go one-and-done in the playoffs. And that’s an obvious reason why.
Below we will explore Pittsburgh’s fatal flaw that will derail their Super Bowl hopes during the AFC playoffs.
The Steelers deserve credit for winning the AFC North this season. But that is not the accomplishment it has been in recent seasons.
Cincinnati was a complete disaster ever since Joe Burrow got injured, taking them out of the division race. Meanwhile, Cleveland hasn’t been a threat since Baker Mayfield left town.
Baltimore obviously gave Pittsburgh a run for their money, but they did so with Lamar Jackson completely compromised the entire season.
I mention all of this because the competition level will turn up a few notches in the playoffs. And I don’t think Pittsburgh has the offense to compete with the big dogs in the AFC.
Part of the problem is Rodgers himself. He is a flawed quarterback whose killer instinct and cerebral understanding of the game have kept him relevant into his 40’s. Unfortunately, he does not have the arm strength that he once did. That’s kept the Steelers from airing the ball out for much of the season.
To make matters worse, the Steelers do not have the skill players to even run a high-scoring offense.
DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth are all solid players. But the depth behind them does not look anything like a playoff roster.
Case in point, the Steelers averaged just 23.4 points per game in the regular season. That is firmly middle of the pack in the NFL.
That, paired with a great defense, may be enough to beat many NFL teams. But it may not be enough against the AFC’s best. Remember, the Steelers lost 25-10 against the Chargers in Week 10 and 26-7 against the Bills in Week 13.
Plus, they may not even have the better defense during their first game.
**How will the Steelers perform against...
