The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a roller coaster ride this season. They've won seven of 11 games and have also been outgained in 10 of 11 games in 2023. The defense has spent most of the season ranked in the bottom five in yards allowed. The fan base was no longer sold on Kenny Pickett as the franchise quarterback. It culminated when Mike Tomlin responded and allegedly fired Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada after a demoralizing 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett did absolutely nothing to help the Steelers in their 2023 Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Former Steelers Lineman Willie Colon Is Absolutely Ruthless, Claiming Patrick Peterson Levi Wallace Are "Stealing Money"
The Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 in Week 12 and are squarely back in control of their destiny in the AFC North. The former Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon appeared on Monday's The Carton Show on Fox Sports. Colon has been critical of the Steelers for much of the 2023 season. He struck a much more optimistic tone on Monday.
“It’s called heart and Mike Tomlin finally coming to grips that his offensive coordinator, Canada, wasn’t getting it done,” Colon observed. “You gotta credit Mike Sullivan, who took over the play-calling and did a h**l of a job of really preparing these guys to win one game. Any time you lose your OC, any time you have a struggling quarterback, you gotta have a reaction. That reaction was Kenny Pickett's first play [to] Pat Freiermuth down the seam.”
The Steelers' offense could have been better on Sunday in Cincinnati, but they snapped a 58-game streak of not gaining 400 yards in a single contest. Tomlin failed to challenge a potential touchdown in the first half when Diontae Johnson was ruled to have dropped the ball in the end zone. The Steelers lost the ball on the following play when Jaylen Warren fumbled it, costing them at least three points. It still felt like a very different offense, even with only 16 points to show for it.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren breaks a run against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh has managed to post a winning record by dominating the turnover battle and doing just enough offensively to secure victories in the fourth quarter. The Steelers never pulled away from the Bengals in Week 12, but the offense appeared in control. They settled for three field goals in a steady rain that easily could have been 24-27 points. Colon pointed out that a competent Steelers' offense could be a real problem for the AFC.
"I mean, he was money. He has a security blanket, and the run game came to life," Colon concluded. "What else do you want from this team? They're coming, and everybody should be scared."
The Steelers have faced significant adversity over the last two seasons. After losing TJ Watt for half a season and falling to 2-6 before Watt returned after the 2022 bye week, the Steelers have gone 13-6 over the last 19 games. The reward for the players finding a way to win has been dismissed as "Tomlining" and has heaped praise on the head coach while ridiculing the players on the field. Craig Carton dismissed Colon's observations and the Steelers' 2023 chances in the AFC.
"They're not. It's a bad football team," Carton foolishly spouted. "The Cincinnati Bengals don't have a quarterback, and you d**n near lost that game yesterday. The only thing going for Pittsburgh is that the Browns are worse, and they're in the playoffs, also. They're the benefactors of playing against other bad teams. You put Pittsburgh up against a good team; they get waxed by 20."
The Steelers were blown out by the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans by a combined score of 60-13. The Steelers have won seven games with victories over the Browns with Deshaun Watson, the Ravens with Lamar Jackson, and three of four games in the AFC North. Before Joe Burrow was lost for the season, the toughest division in football had a chance to place all four teams in the AFC Playoffs.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett targets Pat Freiermuth in 16-10 victory over Bengals in Week 12.
The national media and the NFL are less than enthusiastic about the Steelers' throwback brand of football. Running the ball effectively and playing good defense works in bad weather. All four teams that can host an AFC playoff game will likely be outdoor venues. Even scarier for the NFL and the media is that if the Steelers' offense builds on the Week 12 performance, one of those venues could be Pittsburgh.
The last thing the fantasy football crowd wants to see is the screen go black in the fourth quarter of a 17-10 game in the fourth quarter of a playoff game in Accrisure Stadium. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick could exorcise their playoff demons. The jig would be up, and the news would be out that the Steelers are back as AFC contenders.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Did Sunday change your mind about the Steelers' chances to compete in the AFC this season? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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