The Steelers Are Playing With House Money
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers are lucky to be in this position.
Just three weeks ago, they were on the outside of the AFC playoff picture at 7-7, and things looked bleak after three consecutive losses to subpar teams.
Now, after three-straight wins with Mason Rudolph under center, as well as some outside help from Mike Vrabel and his now-former employers, the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
“We played great football before, we played winning football before,” cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said during the team’s media availability on Monday. “It’s nothing impossible. We just had to get back to the basics, communicate, and play fast football like the Steelers do. I feel like the past couple weeks, we’ve been doing that. Offense has been stepping up, special teams has been stepping up. I just feel like we’re playing good football in all three phases of the game.”
Although the season ease rife with offensive struggle and difficult defeats, Steelers fans should be grateful. The team has scratched and clawed its way to this position, battling adversity and overcoming tremendous odds.
Now that they’ve made the playoffs, everything from here on out is gravy.
There are no expectations. The Steelers are playing with house money, especially considering the future uncertainty at quarterback and the injuries on the defensive side of the ball, especially to T.J. Watt.
“This game is crazy. The highs and lows of the season are so dramatic,” Mason Cole said on Monday. “Five weeks ago, it felt like the world was ending. And now here we are with a chance to go on the road and get a playoff victory. I know it’s been awhile here in Pittsburgh that we’ve had a playoff win, and we’ll do everything we can to get it done this week.”
There’s no pressure on this team. They can play freely against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and let the chips fall where they may.
The Bills are 10-point favorites, and Mike Tomlin and Steelers would have it no other way. This franchise has always shown an ability to adopt the “underdog” moniker and to play with a chip on its shoulder. Here we go again.
Just making the playoffs has provided a spark. There’s new fire in the locker room, new motivation, and sometimes that’s all a team needs.
“It feels pretty energetic in here,” Miles Killebrew said Monday. “It feels a little different. There’s a lot of energy, and a lot of excitement. So I’m very optimistic with how we’re going to go out and play this weekend. … Across the board, it just feels very cohesive.”
Whatever the outcome on Sunday — win or lose, close call or blowout — there’s suddenly a heavier dose of uncertainty heading into this offseason. Will the long-tenured head coach decide to stick around a little while longer? How do they plug a couple of holes on their otherwise-impressive defense? And, of course: Who exactly is the starting quarterback?
But all that can wait just a little while longer. From here on out, it’s just one game at a time.
“We’re worried about what we do at this point,” Tomlin said. “We’re living it, as opposed to writing it.”
Up Next