It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
- Al Golden sees something nobody else does in Geno Stone and seemingly wants Bengals to keep him (Cincy Jungle)
- Browns: Future QB plans continue to be problematic (Dawgs by Nature)
- Lamar Jackson injury update: Ravens QB still day-to-day (Baltimore Beatdown)
What’s the latest on the Steelers’ upcoming opponent? (More from Baltimore
Beatdown):
- Baltimore Ravens Snap Count Analysis, Week 17: Heavy personnel dominates as Ravens run wild (Baltimore Beatdown)
- 5 instant takeaways from the Ravens’ win over the Packers (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Ravens Week 17 postgame updates: injuries, quotes, and other notes (Baltimore Beatdown)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
NFL Week 17 grades: Steelers get a ‘D’ for choking against Browns, Patriots earn ‘A+’ for destroying Jets
(From CBS Sports’ John Breech): D — Steelers: The Steelers had a chance to clinch the AFC North title with a win, but instead they choked. With DK Metcalf out due to a suspension, Aaron Rodgers and the offense struggled to move the ball on a muddy day in Cleveland. Rodgers had multiple chances to put his team in a position to win, but the Steelers seemed to come up empty on almost every big play: They went 0-for-3 on fourth down, including a last gasp pass from Rodgers to Marquez Valdes-Scantling that fell incomplete on a fourth-and-goal from Cleveland’s 7-yard line with just 21 seconds left to play. Due to this loss, the Steelers’ season now comes down to one game: Pittsburgh (9-7) face the Ravens in Week 18 with the winner heading to the playoffs and the loser headed home.
Here’s the national view of the Steelers’ loss on Sunday. CBS Sports wasn’t impressed, either.
Browns star cornerback trolls Aaron Rodgers, Steelers after baffling end game sequence
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): “I was just surprised that they decided to come at me the last three plays of the game,” Ward said. “I didn’t think that that was a bright idea. But, hey, I was happy about it.”
Throughout the game, Browns edge rusher Alex Wright said that Rodgers was ‘flustered’ and ‘cussing up a storm’ along with the Steelers coaches.
Not only did all three of Aaron Rodgers’ final passes go to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but he was also targeting five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward in each one. The Browns defense noticed that as well.
Awful Stat Shows Ugly Side of Steelers’ Mike Tomlin
(From SI’s Jacob Punturi): The Week 17 loss continued an alarming trend for the Steelers. The Browns entered the game with a 3-12 record, making them nine games under .500. According to research from Doug Clawson of CBS Sports, the Steelers have lost five consecutive games against teams who are at least eight games or more below .500.
It turns out that the feeling that the Steelers haven’t been winning games they should is, in some ways, a real statistic.
Myles Garrett: Steelers more worried about me breaking sack record than winning the game
(From NFL.com’s Kevin Patra): “To an extent, I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron (Rodgers) than, you know, getting the win, and I think that’s what came back to bite them,” Garrett said, via Ashly Holder of Cleveland 19 News. “They’ll have to fight it out with Baltimore next week, but I’m just proud of the guys for fighting and getting this win. That’s the main thing, and I’m always gonna keep it that.”
This narrative has been overblown, to say the least, but Garett plays the role of division rival well.
Steelers Aren’t a Playoff Threat
(From SI’s Ari Meyer): At the present, there seems to be little reason to believe that the Steelers can overcome their playoff demons this season as recent bad play has made them an easy team to overcome. They have shown flashes of good play, but their inconsistency will be exploited by playoff-caliber teams such as the Wild Card teams they will have to take on if they do make the playoffs.
With the Chargers resting their starters in Week 18, it looks like the winner of Steelers-Ravens will be facing either the Houston Texans or the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the postseason. Much has rightfully been made about the wide-open AFC, but both of those matchups would be incredibly tough. Pittsburgh didn’t look anything close to a contender last week, either, while the Texans defeated the Chargers and Bills lost a close game to the 10-5 Eagles.
Cam Heyward Sends Message to Steelers Before Ravens Finale
(From SI’s Ari Meyer): “It’s for everything this week. You know, you don’t have to look around. You don’t have to wait for somebody else to play. You know that it brings you back to the high school ball where everything’s riding on every single game and if you’re a competitor and you understand this rivalry between [Pittsburgh and] Baltimore, this is what you want.” Heyward said.
It’s been a long and winding season — all leading up to a win-and-in game against Baltimore. After coming out flat against the Cleveland Browns last week, Cam Heyward is confident his team will rise to the challenge in a primetime matchup against the Ravens to close out Week 18.
Can the Steelers right the ship?
Can they? Absolutely.
If one thing has been consistent across this Pittsburgh season, it’s that the team the Steelers have fielded from week to week has been wildly unpredictable. The same franchise that beat the Patriots and Lions this season also only managed six points against the Cleveland Browns. It also means that just because the Steelers beat the Ravens in early December, they’re far from guaranteed to do it again.
Given the momentum entering the matchup, it makes sense for the Ravens to be road favorites whether Lamar Jackson plays or not. But no one should be surprised if the Steelers pull off the “upset.”
However, the story of the season still absolutely matters regardless of the outcome on Sunday night. Win or lose, Pittsburgh has shown itself to be an inconsistent team with deep flaws that still is a ways away from contending for a Super Bowl
That said, here’s hoping for a good regular season finale on Sunday Night Football.
Do you think the Steelers can right the ship on SNF after Week 17’s embarrassing loss? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
