The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals as the fifth seed in the AFC, and expected to hold that spot as they had back-to-back games lined up against two-win teams. This was not the case, as the Steelers lost to Arizona and then to the New England Patriots in Week 14 which knocked them out of playoffs temporarily. The Steelers then got lucky on Sunday in Week 14, as enough teams lost to put them back in the playoff picture, despite suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in 2023.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' George Pickens in a 2023 loss to the Patriots
Steelers Back In AFC Playoff Picture Following Week 14
The Steelers fell down to eighth place in the AFC following their loss to New England in Week 14, but thankfully, that game was the first of the week and it was on Thursday night. The Steelers had many opportunities to get back into the playoffs if the right teams lost on Sunday. Going into Sunday, the three Wild Card teams in the AFC were the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts. If any of these team's lost, the Steelers would take their place in the standings.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Najee Harris was the lone bright spot in their 2023 Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans
Thankfully for Pittsburgh, both the Texans and Colts lost. The Texans got beat pretty badly by the New York Jets and their starting quarterback, CJ Stroud, went down with an injury. The Colts lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, which now puts the Bengals at the seventh seed in the AFC unless the Denver Broncos come away with a win against the Los Angeles Chargers.
With the two losses by the Texans and the Colts, the Steelers hold the sixth seed in the AFC regardless of what happens throughout the rest of Week 14. The Browns were able to hold on to the fifth seed with their win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers wideout George Pickens (#14) celebrates his two-point conversion catch against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.
The Steelers found a way to still be in the playoff off picture even after losing two straight to two of the worst teams in the league, which is good news. The Steelers next two games are two of the most important of the year, since both games are against AFC teams gunning for a Wild Card spot. They play the Colts in Week 15 and the Bengals in Week 16. If they can get wins in both of these matchups, they will be looking good for the postseason.
What do you think of the Steelers potentially lucking their way into the playoff picture? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
