Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
What’s the latest on the Steelers’ upcoming opponent?
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
(From ESPN’s Brooke Pryor): “There’s some castoffs if you look at our roster, which makes it really special,” Rodgers said with a grin, adding that he doesn’t consider himself a castoff. “Kenny Gainwell signed a next-to-nothing contract. Connor Heyward, an afterthought, had a touchdown run. Marquez has been on a couple teams. Adam Thielen got cut. Samuel was on the street for a long time. So says a lot about the character of the guys we brought in.”
Rodgers has started to push an “island of misfit toys” narrative regarding the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers — while excluding himself from the label, funnily enough. He’s not entirely wrong, though. Some of the biggest players in the Steelers’ recent winning streak have been under-the-radar or midseason free agent signings.
(From Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio): The Steelers face the Lions in Detroit and the Browns in Cleveland. If Pittsburgh loses both (and even if the Ravens beat both the Patriots and the Packers), it will all come down to Week 18.
Under that scenario, the Steelers would be 8-8 and the Ravens would be 9-7 entering the season finale: Ravens at Steelers. A Pittsburgh win would result in a 9-8 tie. With a sweep of the Ravens, the Steelers would win the division on the first tiebreaker.
The Steelers can lock up the AFC North before Week 18, but it’s also likely the division title — and a playoff spot — comes down to the regular season finale against the Ravens. The good news for the Steelers is that their win over Miami means they’re guaranteed to stay in the playoff hunt through the end of the season, even if they drop their next two games.
You can play with ESPN’s playoff machine to determine the different possible outcomes of a competitive AFC playoff picture this year. There’s a chance Week 17 is meaningless to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, but I don’t buy the possibility of either team sitting its starters.
(From NFL.com’s Nick Shook): **Rodgers happy to have some veterans...
