The Pittsburgh Steelers are -650 to make the 2024 NFL Playoffs, according to the current NFL odds posted by FanDuel Sportsbook. -650 carries an implied probability of 86.67%. Barring a second-half collapse, Pittsburgh should play at least one playoff game.
The first half of the Steelers season couldn’t have gone better. They banked six wins, catching teams like the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers before they hit their mid-season stride.
As the Steelers enter the most crucial stretch of the season as a probable playoff team, we must now ask: Can the Pittsburgh Steelers finally win a playoff game?
Mr. Unlimited or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let Russ Cook
A fully healthy Russell Wilson has unlocked the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
Wilson threw for a combined 737 yards and six touchdowns in his first three starts. He’s also averaging 8.7 per completion, a significant jump from previous starter Justin Fields, who averaged 6.9 yards per completion.
Wilson’s arm has also aided the Steelers’ offensive skill position players.
He’s unleashed WR George Pickens. Pickens was targeted 21 times in the past three games for 14 receptions, 276 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
Former first-rounder RB Najee Harris, who struggled to find room to run during the first portion of the season, has taken full advantage of opposing defenses not loading the box. Harris has rushed for a combined 269 yards in Wilson’s three starts.
A Big Test in Week 11
The Steelers defeated an impressive Washington Commanders team in their first real test of the 2024 NFL Regular Season. The veteran Wilson stood toe-to-toe with the phenom Jayden Daniels, but the defense won the game.
Despite surrendering 27 points, the Steelers defense limited Daniels to five rushing yards for his lowest rushing total this season.
That’s pretty darn good, but now the Steelers must play the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens offense resides in a different universe than the rest of the NFL:
- First in yards per game (440.2)
- First in yards per play (7.2)
- First in rushing yards per game (182.6)
- Third in passing yards per game (257.6)
- First in points per game (31.8)
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level, throwing for 2,669 yards, 24 TDs, and only two interceptions in 2024.
Veteran RB Derrick Henry is having an incredible start to the second act of his career. In 2024, Henry has rushed for 1,120 yards and 12 TDs, leading all NFL running backs.
Can the Steelers Win a Game in the 2024 NFL Playoffs?
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t won a postseason game since the 2016 season, beating the pre-Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Steelers Nation and the organization are anxious for a return to playoff glory.
With a 7-2 record heading into Week 11, the Steelers will likely make the NFL Playoffs. However, the schedule gauntlet starts this week. They play all six divisional games plus the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles before the season concludes.
Can Pittsburgh finally return to glory in the 2024 NFL Playoffs? This week’s game against the elite Baltimore Ravens should give us our first clue.