Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Commentary
Becker: Steelers Finishing Final Month 2-2 Would Be Big Win
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the arguably the toughest part of their schedule, so finishing .500 could be the best case scenario.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the AFC North gauntlet part of their schedule at 10-3, going 3-1 against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals the past month. However, things aren’t going to get any easier.
Over the final month of the season, the Steelers must face two of the top teams in their respective conferences in the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs as well as second meetings with the Ravens and Bengals.
To make matters worse, the Steelers must also face three of them in the short span of 10 days, including a game on Christmas day.
While the Steelers could use that as an excuse, tight end Pat Freiermuth said they are looking forward to the challenge to see what they’re made of with the postseason nearing.
“Gotta love it,” Freiermuth said. “If we wanna win games in the playoffs, we gotta start it now. Man, what an opportunity for us to play three big time games in 10 days, especially on Christmas. Obviously, we know what we have to do in Philadelphia, especially in Baltimore. Why not test us early on before the playoffs? Get a feel of playoffs teams we’re playing. It’ll be great.”
First up is a matchup with the 11-2 Eagles. That is already a daunting task, but adding the fact that the Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia since October 24, 1965 clouds Week 15 with even more uncertainty.
The Eagles are coming off a very questionable 22-16 win over the 3-10 Carolina Panthers in Week 14, but it still feels like there’s a strong chance the Steelers losing streak in Philadelphia could continue next Sunday.
After Pittsburgh’s trip to Philadelphia, the team must then go back on the road for a rematch with the Ravens on a bit of a short week (Saturday).
Yes, the Steelers have dominated the rivalry as of late, winning eight of the last nine meetings, but a divisional road game is no gimme. Plus, the game could decide who will win the AFC North and earn a home playoff game.
Running back Najee Harris acknowledged just that after the Steelers’ 27-14 win over the Browns on Sunday.
“Division is always going to be hard because no matter what their record is, our record is, they know us. We know them. We know their identity. They know our identity,” Harris said. “At the end of the day, it’s really best man win.”
The Steelers will then have to prepare on an even shorter week with a game against the Chiefs on Christmas day (Wednesday).
There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about Kansas City, which seems primed to make another deep postseason run. Like the rest of the NFL, the Steelers have struggled against the Chiefs, losing the last three meetings.
Pittsburgh will be in the comforts of Acrisure Stadium, but as long as Kansas City has quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it will be the favorite, and rightfully so.
The Steelers will then get a much-needed rest ahead their regular season finale against the Bengals, and it’s easy to imagine that game having two very different storylines.
The Bengals could look to play spoiler with nothing left to fight for and a want for revenge after the Steelers 44-38 victory in Week 13. They could do just that with quarterback Joe Burrow playing at an MVP level.
The Steelers’ playoff positioning could also be locked in, and with an unlikely chance of being the AFC’s No. 1 seed and getting the first round bye, could use Week 18 as a chance to rest.
All in all, the Steelers have a lot stacked up against them over the final month of the season. So a 2-2 finish, of course while also staying as healthy as possible, would feel like a big win.
It must be noted, however, that the best teams tend to trend in the right direction late in the season. Head coach Mike Tomlin knows that will be important as the Steelers look to end their seven-year playoff win drought.
“We’ve got to build off of positivity. That’s what good teams do this time of year,” Tomlin said. “We’re trying to play complementary football, whether it’s putting the fire out or building upon the good. I just like the trajectory of our group in that regard. But it’s needed. As the road gets narrow, you’ve got to play really good complementary football in an effort to keep rolling.”
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