Hello, all. Typically, before a Steelers game, I would be breaking down what the teams need to do to get that W. However, I've decided to go a different way, as these are, in fact, the NFL playoffs. Instead, I will write about the Pittsburgh Steelers in much greater detail than just predicting one contest. Let's get into it.
The Steelers are in a unique situation this year in that, as the title says, all of their horses are in the saddle. For the first time since becoming a trio in 2013, the "Killer B's" of Ben (Roethlisberger), (Antonio) Brown, and (Le'Veon) Bell, as well as standout center Maurkice Pouncey, are all healthy in January.
This time around is different from last time, when Brown and Bell were both out for that loss at Denver, ending an injury-riddled season in which a loss in the divisional playoffs could be considered admirable. It is also different two years ago, in which the Steelers were without Bell for their wildcard washout to the hated Dirty Birds at Heinz Field. This time, the Steelers big guns are healthy. That's the good news. The bad news is, the fact that they are healthy will not help things if Pittsburgh suffers another disappointment.
I'm not going to talk about what will happen if the Steelers lose on Sunday because frankly, I don't see any way that takes place, nor do I want to think about that slim possibility. The Dolphins are banged up, and not as talented or as polished as Pittsburgh is, anyway. So, assuming the Steelers take care of business on Sunday afternoon, what more would Pittsburgh have to do for us to look back at this season with a smile?
If the Steelers win on Sunday, and they definitely should, then I think it would be unfair to call this season a failure regardless of what would happen next Saturday in Kansas City. Although it would not be terribly disappointing if Sunday's game is the last one Pittsburgh wins this season, losing in the divisional round would mean that Pittsburgh did no better in the postseason with Le'Veon Bell and Maurkice Pouncey this season than they did without them last season.
Although I would not consider this postseason to be a "Super Bowl or Bust" type of deal, as losing to New England on the road in January is never anything to be ashamed of, I would be somewhat underwhelmed if this season is ended by Andy Reid's Chiefs.
Over the past few years, the Steelers have been making steady progress. In 2014, they won the AFC North and went to the postseason, which was an upgrade from an 8-8 campaign the pervious year. In 2015, the Steelers won a playoff game, which they hadn't accomplished since 2011. If this Chiefs team, which is good, but not particularly memorable, dethrones the Steelers, then it will mean that, for the first time since 2013, a season will end without this team moving forward on the road to the Super Bowl. I don't say this to disrespect Kansas City. They are a solid football team, and no team in the AFC outside of New England is "great" in my eyes, so it would be unfair to hold KC to that standard. But the Steelers did beat them 43-14 earlier in this season, and I don't think these Chiefs are the type of team that makes a fan say "well if somebody had to end our season, I'm glad it was a super team like Kansas City!" So while a second round knockout by Big Red would not be the worst thing in the world, I think it would leave fans in this city dissatisfied. It would mean that, even though there weren't any huge setbacks health wise for this football team, that they would not get any closer to a seventh Lombardi than they had in the years that we did see those setbacks. That, my friends, is a frustrating thought.
The Steelers window to win a Super Bowl will not be closed shut regardless of what happens over the next few weeks. On the surface, they have a young team with a bright future, and things could get brighter yet if the troubled Martavis Bryant gets his head out of the sand in time for Opening Day 2017. However, we should not take for granted how hard it is to make a deep playoff run. We don't know what the future holds for this franchise. Sure, it is a young team with a bright future; in theory. But there's always that possibility that the future won't turn out as bright as we envisioned.
Say the Steelers bow out to either Kansas City or, god forbid, Miami. What if that's as good as it gets for the Steelers in the Roethlisberger/Bell/Brown era? What if Le'Veon Bell can't stay out of trouble off the field or stay healthy on it? What if the soon to be 35-year-old body of Ben Roethlisberger can't cooperate for 10+ in an NFL season games much longer? What is Bryant can't stop smoking dope? What if the promising young players on the Steelers defense, for one reason or another, never fully develop into stars? These are not predictions, but rather scenarios that, while not necessarily likely, should not be dismissed, either.
In my eyes, it would be unfair to expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in NRG Stadium on February 5th, as they are not the favorites to come out of the AFC. However, I feel that, for this season to be looked at as a significant step forward, the Steelers must at least be playing in Gillette Stadium on January 23rd. Although it wouldn't be the mountaintop quite yet, being at least one game away from football's mecca would be a significant step forward. Anything less would be either a step back or no movement at all. I don't particularly love either of those options.
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