The Pittsburgh Steelers let a golden opportunity slip through their hands in the last few games. Hosting the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals and 2-10 New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh was presented a chance to really bolster their record for the stretch run of the season. Instead, the opposite occurred.

The Steelers inexplicably lost both games, making some brutal NFL history in the process. Had they taken advantage, they would be one game behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North and be the top Wild Card team in the conference. Instead, now with a record of 7-6, what was once a stranglehold on a playoff spot has become a tenuous position to be in.

To make matters even worse, they are going to be without their starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett, for at least one more game. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Monday that Pickett will not be playing in Saturday’s gargantuan matchup against the Indianapolis Colts and Mitchell Trubisky will be starting again.

NFL News & Rumors: Mike Tomlin, Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates

In the first full game without Matt Canada as offensive coordinator, Pickett had a great game. The Steelers not only defeated the Cincinnati Bengals that afternoon, but the offense outgained their opponent for the first time in 2023 and broke the 400-yard mark, something that wasn’t accomplished during Canada’s tenure.

Trubisky has plenty of starting experience and is one of the better backups in the NFL. However, he is prone to making mistakes that lead to turnovers, which was one of the areas Pickett has excelled in thus far this season.

Against the Patriots, Trubisky had several inaccurate throws that resulted in drives stalling out. He had one inexplicable interception as well that led to points for a Patriots offense that was struggling to move the ball with any regularity in the previous weeks.

If the Steelers are going to make the postseason, Saturday’s game against the Colts is one that they have to win. Both teams are 7-6 entering the contest and whoever wins will have the head-to-head tiebreaker on their side, which will go a long way in determining playoff seeding down the line.

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