The Pittsburgh Steelers looked dead in the water three weeks ago. Not only were they riding a three-game losing streak, but the team was turning its offense over to quarterback Mason Rudolph, who hadn’t started a game since 2021, in place of Mitchell Trubisky.
Trubisky was in the lineup because their starter, Kenny Pickett, injured his ankle and underwent TightRope surgery to fix it. Despite how dreary things looked heading into Week 16, the Steelers are still right in the mix for a playoff spot.
Rudolph led the team to victory in Week 16 over the Cincinnati Bengals to push their record to 8-6. They secured their ninth victory when they went on the road and defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.
NFL News & Rumors: Diontae Johnson & Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
If they want any chance of winning, they will need to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale. Pittsburgh could catch a break as Baltimore secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. Head coach John Harbaugh has admitted he doesn’t know who will be in the lineup on Saturday afternoon as they could rest their regulars.
No matter who lines up against them, the Steelers are going to be focused on winning the game. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson said as much when talking about the team’s chances of making the postseason. However, he did make an admission fans have been aware of for the last few weeks.
“We shot ourselves in the foot those two games we should have won. We can only control what we can control and keep trying to finish this season strong, and that’s winning on Saturday.”
NFL News & Rumors: Diontae Johnson & Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
The games Johnson is referencing is the three-game losing streak the team snapped two games ago. They lost home games to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots at home before getting crushed on the road by the Indianapolis Colts.
While all of the losses were damaging, the losses to the Cardinals and Patriots were downright embarrassing and inexcusable. Both teams came to Acrisure Stadium with 2-10 records, as New England went to Pittsburgh on a short week winning on Thursday Night Football in Week 14.
Those losses, in large part, are why the Steelers are in the position they are heading into Week 18. If they want to make the postseason they will need some help, but the first step is defeating their AFC North rivals on Saturday to get to 10 wins.
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