In the run-up to the playoffs the Steelers have performed as anticipated. Its not ideal for a club hoping to make a postseason push to have four straight defeats and an offensive game that has had trouble scoring points, but they still have an opportunity to perform well on super wild card weekend.
Recent struggles: Streak of disappointments
The Steelers offense has been unable to find its rhythm, scoring just 6 touchdowns in the past four games and failing to surpass 20 points in any of those games and the defense, while still solid, has been less dynamic and unable to create game-changing plays. On top of that, they have to rely on kicker Chris Boswell, who remains the brightest star on the team.
The Bengals game: A missed opportunity
After a short bye, the Steelers faced the Bengals in a must-win game to secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately, the display was lackluster. In a replay of a thrilling 44-38 victory on Dec. 1, the Steelers’ offense was completely disrupted. Despite dominating the first matchup with 520 total yards and 44 points, they only managed 7 first downs and 91 yards through three quarters in this one
Highlights of the game:
- George Pickens was targeted 6 times but only caught 1 pass for zero yards.
- Calvin Austin had no catch of third, had a crucial third-down pass hit on his hands but was dropped.
- Pat Freyermuth had a solid 8 catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, but a crucial fourth-down pass in the final seconds went through his hands, potentially setting up the game-winning field goal by Boswell
Defensive performance: Solid but not enough
The Steelers defense showed improvement but could not lead the team to victory. While they allowed just 1 touchdown and 3 red-zone field goals against a high-powered Bengals offense, they struggled to generate turnovers, with only one takeaway in the game being Joe Burroughs 38 with the help of his talented receiving corps keeping the ball moving for the Bengals Controlled the tempo of the game holding possession for minutes
Quarterback comparison: Burroughs vs. Wilson
The drastic difference in quarterback play was a major factor in the game. While Joe Burroughs completed 77.1% of his passes and was patient while unable to exploit deep threats like Ja’Mar Chase and Tee Higgins, Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett struggled Pickett only completed 54.8% of his passes and failed to spark the offense It happened, which didn’t cross 100 total yards until the fourth quarter.
Special Teams and The Playoff Picture
Despite the offense struggling, special teams contributed with muffed punt recoveries that set up Boswell zone goals. This effort combined with the resilience of the defense kept the Steelers in the game, though they ultimately fell short, losing 19-17 to the Bengals
What’s Next: Playoffs await
Despite a disappointing finish to the regular season, the Steelers made the playoffs the same weekend their losing streak began. The postseason presents an opportunity for redemption, and as Cam Hayward said, “Nobody’s going to make it easy for us, but we like versus somebody.”
With the playoffs on the horizon the Steelers will face either the Texans in Houston or the Ravens in Baltimore during Super Wild Card weekend they will have to picking up their mistakes and focusing on their performances if they want to continue their playoff journey.
Super Wild Card Weekend Schedule
| Date | Game Time | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Jan 11 | 4:30 p.m. | Game 1 |
| 8:00 p.m. | Game 2 | |
| Sunday, Jan 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Game 3 |
| 4:30 p.m. | Game 4 | |
| 8:15 p.m. | Game 5 | |
| Monday, Jan 13 | 8:15 p.m. | Steelers vs. Texans/Ravens |
