The Pittsburgh Steelers need to make a quick turnaround after a terrible performance all around in their Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. After losing 34-17, they will have a short week and face an even tougher unit: the 14-1 Kansas City Chiefs. The situation has gotten dire for Pittsburgh, and it now seems like it needs a win on Christmas Day at home if it wants any shot of winning the division. The team still controls its own destiny, but the Steelers can't take a loss and hope the Cleveland Browns help them out in Week 18 against the Ravens.
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Steelers' Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson during training camp
During his weekly press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about that potential turnaround, especially for Russell Wilson. The tough circumstances don't matter, and Wilson should be able to rebound, according to his coach.
"I expect [Russell Wilson] to respond. He's been doing this a long time and he's tough on himself because he's got a desire to be great," Tomlin said. "He wants to lead us to victory, and he owns that, but I don't expect it to be an issue in terms of the trajectory of his approach and readiness this week."
Wilson's base stats did not look bad. He completed 22/33 passes for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns, to go along with 27 rushing yards on three attempts. However, the mistakes he did make were brutal, and they cost the team the win in the long run. In an efficient season for the veteran, he made some uncharacteristically terrible plays.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson drops back to make a pass against the Ravens in Week 16
On a scramble, Wilson took off for a 19-yard run and was looking for a touchdown. However, he failed to protect the ball in the process and coughed it up right before the goal line. A surefire touchdown drive ended in zero points, and the Ravens then went down the field to score.
After the defense finally secured a red zone stop with an interception, Wilson threw it right back. He made a poor read and an even worse pass, as he gifted Marlon Humphrey a free pick-six to put the game out of reach. The Ravens put up 14 points off of turnovers, while one of Wilson's mistakes took points off the board for the Steelers directly.
On a short, unusual stretch like Week 17, Wilson and the Steelers have to find a way to fix their issues. There will be little to no contact practices, which makes it much harder to simulate the different things that the Chiefs may throw at them. If the Steelers want to win the division and Tomlin wants to secure that AP Coach of the Year Award, they will have to find a way to make it happen.
AP Photo / Orlin Wagner
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid embrace one another on the field prior to a professional football game in Kansas City.
Luckily for the Steelers, the Chiefs are dealing with similar circumstances. They also have to play three games in an 11-day window, and they will even have to go on the road to Pittsburgh to cap off that stretch. This game will not be a freebie for the Chiefs, and if the Steelers can find any way to fix some of their problems, they could get an upset win and keep control of the AFC North.
Steelers' Gauntlet Is Almost Over
The Steelers had a brutal schedule since the bye week, as every team they faced are either division rivals and/or going to the playoffs. After this game against the Chiefs, they will get a well-deserved mini-bye before playing the Cincinnati Bengals at home. If they can win both games, they will secure another home game for the Wild Card round. Can they survive, or is this recent stretch of games just a harbinger for what will happen for the rest of the season?
What do you think about Tomlin putting faith in his quarterback to flip the script on a short week? Will Wilson rebound and play like the old version of himself? Let us know in the comments.
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