The Pittsburgh Steelers won a hard-fought victory on Monday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts 24-17. Kenny Pickett led his first career fourth-quarter comeback with a brilliantly balanced drive with the rookie calling for a Benny Snell run for the go-ahead score. The defense played lights out in the first half and held on late to secure the victory for the Steelers.
Benny Snell (24) Scores Touchdown in 4th Quarter against the Indianapolis Colts / Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
The black and gold moved to four wins and seven losses on the season and kept the slimmest of playoff hopes flickering in Pittsburgh. The Steelers remaining six games includes a home date with the Baltimore Ravens and four winnable games against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns.
The slim chance will give the Steelers an opportunity to evaluate how Pickett handles pressure, and if the Colts game is any indication, he will pass the test with flying colors. The rookie quarterback had his best game as a professional, but it leads to the most important question in Steeler Nation this season. Do they still have a chance to make the playoffs?
George Pickens (14) Celebrates Two-Point Conversion / Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed Pickett at length Tuesday morning on Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports and after complimenting the young quarterback’s performance, Florio raised eyebrows by suggesting that the Steelers are not just trying to gain experience for 2023 but still are chasing 2022 playoff berth.
“I never count the Steelers out. We see all the time if the season ended today,” Florio said. “There are still some teams out there that have got something to say. I say it all the time somebody is going to get to Thanksgiving in the vicinity of .500 and find the gas pedal. The Steelers have got a long way to go, they understand the time is now if we want to keep our hopes alive. They are not going to give up, it just adds a little spice to the stretch run.”
Meaningful games in December are the best experiences a young quarterback can get and while it is a long shot, Florio correctly points out that stranger things have happened in the NFL. Realistically, the black and gold would have to hope that a 10-7 finish is good enough to win the division and it is conceivable that the Cincinnati Bengals and the Ravens could stumble to finish 10-7 down the stretch.
“You’d like to think if somehow, some way they can pull and inside straight,” Florio concluded. “Run the table and get to 10-7 that should be enough to get in, but we are only in year two of this experiment of what 17 games look like. What it takes to get to the playoffs, we have seen 10-6 not get you in when it was 16. We saw 11-5 once upon a time in 2008 and the Patriots don’t make the playoffs. The Steelers even if they can keep this going are going to have a very tough road and they are going to need a lot of help.”
Steelers Kenny Pickett (8) / Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
The point is valid and for the record, Simms doesn’t believe the Steelers can run the table, but he is a fan of Pickett and the team’s progress. The key to the Steelers' success since the bye has been complimentary football. The offense has been balanced with the run and pass and the defense has provided the team the opportunity to stay in each game. Their 4-7 record isn’t a contender’s record but it isn’t mathematically eliminated either.
It is not in the Steelers' DNA to simply play out the string and even if they are eliminated along the way they can set a tone for the next decade about what the Pittsburgh Steelers are and what they can be.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you clinging to the hope of running the table? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
