The Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday puts them in the driver’s seat for the AFC North title. What would have to happen over the next four weeks for you to believe that Pittsburgh isn’t just the best in one of the league’s worst divisions but could actually win a few playoff games?
In a weird, wide-open AFC playoff picture full of inconsistent teams, the Steelers are one of the weirdest and most inconsistent. They’re 1-5 against teams currently in the playoff picture, but that one win is against the 11-3 New England Patriots. A defense that Mike Tomlin hyped before the season as potentially “historic” has given up 30 or more points five times, but it’s also produced five or more turnovers twice. They’ve allowed the most rushing yards in the league since Week 10, but they also limited Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts to just 55 yards on the ground.
Their offense couldn’t hit a deep ball for more than a month, then they connected on four passes with 20-plus air yards in the most important game of the year in Baltimore. Aaron Rodgers put up a passer rating of just 67.7 and completed only 52 percent of his passes with three turnovers and only two touchdown passes during a three-game stretch from Weeks 10 to 13. Then, he had one of his best games of the season in Baltimore. Finding consistency, in any form, is critical if the Steelers are going to win a playoff game.