Can the Steelers Sneak Their Way Into the Playoffs Again?

As a bit of a Pittsburgh Steelers enthusiast, one of the main questions I had entering this season was, "How will this team fare in the first year after Big Ben's retirement?" They did draft a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft: Kenny Pickett out of Pitt, and many Steelers fans expected the team to start him right off the bat. However, the team decided to give the newly-acquired Mitch Trubisky the nod, and as a Packers fan who watched my team torment Trubisky during his time in Chicago, I still can't believe that guy is a Steeler, though I was pulling for him to do well.

The Steelers started the 2022 season with a huge overtime win over the defending AFC Champions, the Cincinnati Bengals, on the road, but it went downhill fast. Four straight losses, a quarterback switch during the game against the Jets, and they lost TJ Watt during the win in Cincinnati, but he wasn't out for the season. The Steelers were 2-7 entering their bye, but they came out of it on fire and entered their big Christmas Eve matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders as winners of four of their last six games.

I cannot continue this story without mentioning the legendary Franco Harris, who suddenly and tragically passed away on December 20, 2022 at the age of 72. The news of his passing came that following morning, and it hit all of us like a ton of bricks. To say that Franco Harris was a legend would be an understatement; he was one of the many big names who helped put the Steelers on the map and made them a superpower. Harris was a huge part of the Steelers' four Super Bowl victories in the six year span, but you cannot mention Franco Harris without thinking of these two words: Immaculate Reception.

Harris was set to be honored during Saturday's game, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. The actual anniversary fell on Friday; as the big moment took place on December 23, 1972, during the AFC Divisional Playoff between the Raiders and Steelers. We've all seen it so many times on replay; Bradshaw's pass bounces off a Raiders player and ends up in Harris' hands, with the Stallion running the rest of the way for a touchdown. Pittsburgh won that game, but ended up falling victim to the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in the AFC Championship. Even so, the Immaculate Reception remains one of the most memorable and legendary occurrences in the NFL's 100+ year history.

It was fitting that these same two teams would face each other during this anniversary, but for the Steelers, it was time to step up. Despite their winning tear, the Steelers faced elimination, and even worse, it was "lose and out." It was ugly throughout, as the Raiders scored the first touchdown and stayed ahead due to Pittsburgh's offense stalling, as well as Chris Boswell missing two of his first three kicks. Boswell would come through to make it 10-6, and Pickett led an amazing game-winning drive capped off by a George Pickens touchdown. The Steelers won 13-10, and as a result of the Miami Dolphins' loss to the Green Bay Packers on the following day, Pittsburgh lives on for another week.

With that, I ask another question: "Can the Steelers do it again?" By that I mean, can this team actually sneak their way into a playoff spot for the second straight year? We all know how last season ended for them. They did struggle that year, they lost (and in one case, tied) key games they should have won, yet they won late to stay alive. Entering the final week of last season, the Steelers needed a win, the Indianapolis Colts to lose to the lowly, lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, and someone to win the Chargers/Raiders season finale. While the Steelers were in OT in Baltimore, the unthinkable did happen: Indy lost to the two-win Jags. Pittsburgh won in OT, and all that was left was for Chargers/Raiders to have a winner. It wasn't easy. The game went to OT and it definitely looked like a tie was on the horizon, but the Raiders won with a last second field goal, which placed the Steelers in the playoffs.

So can they do it again? It seems impossible, but the impossible has been done before. Entering Week 16, the Steelers' clinching scenario had them needing to win out, the Los Angeles Chargers losing out, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets each losing two games, and the Jacksonville Jaguars losing once. Both the Patriots and Jets lost this week, and the Dolphins' loss keeps hope alive for the Steelers. Pittsburgh's final two games are against divisional foes: @ BAL (SNF) and vs CLE. They are winnable games, but they will need outside help in order to return to the playoffs. It would be an absolutely amazing feat if this happened, especially in spite of their bad start and the fact that this is their first post-Big Ben season. It also seems like an impossible feat, but again, they snagged a playoff spot in the final weeks of last season. Who's to say that the Steelers can't do it again?