It feels loopy to say, however there’s just one week left within the NFL common season. It seems like time flew by, particularly for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their season has been an absolute curler coaster. Earlier than it began, individuals have been selecting them to complete in final place of the AFC North. The Steelers have actually proved these doubters improper. That doesn’t imply the naysayers consider in them now.
“I don’t know what to make of them these days,” Jason McIntyre stated Thursday on FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “They’ve misplaced three straight, however they’ve misplaced to good groups. Once you lose to love Philadelphia, not the tip of the world. You lose to [Kansas City], Baltimore, it’s not the tip of the world. However I believe we’d agree, Pittsburgh overachieved for many of this season. We didn’t suppose they’d be right here.”
For some, the Steelers might need overachieved, however the workforce in all probability doesn’t really feel that method. They weren’t shy about letting individuals know what their expectations for themselves have been. They wished to return into this yr and be probably the greatest groups within the league. Though they’ve clinched a playoff spot, they’ve been extra disappointing these days.
The Steelers nonetheless have one regular-season recreation left, and so they’ve already punched their ticket into the postseason. In the event that they beat the Cincinnati Bengals and win a playoff recreation, that may be step ahead in comparison with earlier years.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t sound like McIntyre has a lot religion they’ll be capable of do this.
“Pittsburgh might have peaked just a little early, and I believe [Joe] Burrow, [Ja’Marr] Chase, and [Tee] Higgins go into Pittsburgh, a troublesome place to win, and get the job finished,” he stated.
It’s simple to see why individuals consider the Steelers peaked early. After Wilson turned the starter in Week 7, they seemed like one of many NFL’s finest groups. Nonetheless, they’ve been on a gradual decline over the previous couple of weeks. A 3-game shedding streak has uncovered a number of their points.
That doesn’t imply the Steelers aren’t a very good workforce or that they’ve already peaked. Like most NFL groups, they’ve handled ups and downs. It’s not just like the Bengals have been extra spectacular than the Steelers. They’ve been on the skin wanting in on the playoffs for many of this yr.
The Steelers have an opportunity to show doubters like McIntyre improper by beating the Bengals. In the event that they do this, they could be capable of carry some momentum into the playoffs. As soon as a workforce will get into the dance, something can occur. The Steelers seem like an underdog now, but when they get again on the identical web page, they could possibly be harmful.
