Examining The Steelers' Unusual Path To Making A Return To The Postseason In 2023

Before Week 16, Pittsburgh Steelers fans had lost nearly all of their hope in the team making it to the postseason. The AFC North squad was coming off three consecutive losses, none of which came against legitimate contenders. Somehow, Mike Tomlin was able to rally his troops and put together an impressive performance against the Cincinnati Bengals amidst the recent noise. After the 34-11 victory, the postseason is still within the realm of possibilities.

So what do the Steelers have to do in order to make it? Well, it starts with winning their final two games against the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens. Similar to Pittsburgh, the Seahawks are vying for a Wild Card spot in the NFC at the moment. That will make for a difficult environment, especially on the road in Seattle against the likes of DK Metcalf. While the Ravens look like a dominant force at the moment, the Steelers have fared well against Lamar Jackson over the years.

They did beat Jackson and the Ravens back in Week 5, which was aided by a pathetic performance from Baltimore's wide receivers. If the Ravens win in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins, they will clinch the #1 seed in the AFC for the postseason. That's not an easy matchup by any means, as those are the top two teams in the AFC at the moment.

A win would give the Ravens home-field advantage and perhaps as importantly, they could then rest their starters in Week 18. That would certainly help the Steelers, as they would get to face the likes of Tyler Huntley rather than Lamar Jackson. Oddly enough, Pittsburgh fans should theoretically be cheering for Baltimore this weekend. With three Wild Card spots now, one would think that a 10-7 record would be good enough to make it. 

Well, that may not exactly be the case for the Steelers. Even if they win their final two matchups, they will need some help around the NFL. Pittsburgh went just 1-3 against the AFC South, so they don't own the tiebreaker on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, or Houston Texans. All three of those teams are 8-7 at the moment, while one of them will win their division.

Whoever doesn't, the Steelers will need them to lose at least one of their final two games. The Colts and Texans face each other in Week 18, so that will take care of itself. Beyond that though, the Steelers will need one more loss from one of those three teams to have a Wild Card spot. Somehow, even if the Steelers lose this weekend, they would not be mathematically eliminated.

While it would be very unlikely, they could still make the playoffs at 9-8. They would need an extraordinary amount of help, and at that point, an eight-loss unit doesn't feel deserving of a trip to the postseason. It didn't have to come to this point either if the Steelers would have taken care of business against two-win teams just a few weeks ago. Regardless, there is hope once again in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers Have Turned To Mason Rudolph

After Tomlin's press conference on Tuesday, it seems that quarterback Mason Rudolph will likely start for the second straight week. The veteran had a miraculous effort in Week 16 against the Bengals, and Pittsburgh will need more of the same against the Seahawks. If the Steelers do sneak into the postseason, it would be their first trip since 2021, Ben Roethlisberger's final year. They only have a 13% chance to make the playoffs as of now, but they do now hold the tiebreaker over the Bengals.

Realistically, how good of a chance do you think the Steelers have at making the postseason? Will you be cheering for the Ravens this weekend so that the Steelers could potentially face their backups in Week 18? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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