Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Absolutely Believes Saturday Is A Playoff Game "In My Eyes"

The Pittsburgh Steelers stand at 7-6 after back-to-back losses against two lowly opponents. Somehow, they are still in the playoff hunt at the moment in the chaotic AFC picture. They still control their own destiny, and that begins on Saturday night against the Indianapolis Colts. For the first time since Week 12, Pittsburgh will travel on the road. Like the Steelers, the Colts are 7-6 heading into Week 15.

There are actually six AFC teams with a 7-6 record, two of which possess a spot in the postseason as of now. You get the gist, with just four games remaining, every contest is crucial the rest of the way. Given the fact that the Steelers are playing a team also vying for a playoff spot, this weekend feels like a must-win. The players are treating it as such, and Minkah Fitzpatrick is even acting like it's a playoff game.

"Yeah, it's a playoff game in my eyes," Fitzpatrick said via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

He's not the only one either. Najee Harris told Adamski the same thing when speaking to reporters on Wednesday. On the most recent episode of his All Things Covered podcast, veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson echoed similar comments as well. Even rookie standout Joey Porter Jr. said that everyone is treating it as a playoff game. As they should. 

Amidst the recent criticism in Pittsburgh, it seems like this is a message that Mike Tomlin is feeding his players. Now is the time for the team to follow through.

At this point, the team has no other choice but to treat it as such. A loss to the Colts this weekend, and the playoff chances fall astronomically. The Steelers last made the playoffs two years ago in Ben Roethlisberger's final season. Unfortunately, it ended in a blowout, as Roethlisberger's career ended at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs. Tomlin and the Steelers haven't won a playoff game in nearly seven years when they actually defeated the Chiefs at the hands of six field goals from Chris Boswell.

When Will The Steelers Return To The Postseason?

Truthfully, that drought doesn't look like it will end this season. The offense has returned to its old ways over the last few weeks, and backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky looked off in his first start of the season. He will be under center once again this weekend while Kenny Pickett continues to recover from his ankle injury. The Steelers are 1-2 against the AFC South this season, which has included blowout losses to the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Before their loss last week, the Colts had won four straight games, so they have been in a bit of a groove. Star running back Jonathan Taylor's status for Week 15 remains up in the air, although he did miss practice on Wednesday. He continues to deal with a thumb injury, but if he is able to play, there's no doubt that he would provide a massive impact. While the Steelers have gotten better against the run recently, they are still vulnerable. 

Fans' confidence in this team has all but diminished in the last two weeks, but the Steelers will have an opportunity to prove them wrong. At the very least, the team is coming into the game with the right mindset. It seems that was something that was lacking in previous weeks after players openly admitted that they took the Cardinals too lightly. We'll see if this translates into better results against the Colts.

How do you think the team will respond in Week 15? With a win this weekend, do you think this squad will make the playoffs? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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