The rest of the NFL has been warned. Don’t let the Pittsburgh Steelers into the playoffs.
Heading into Week 18 of the NFL season, the Steelers are one of the many teams still fighting for a spot in the postseason.
A win over the Baltimore Ravens in their regular season finale would be a big step toward qualifying for the postseason, but the Steelers will also need help from elsewhere in the league if their season is going to continue.
Yesterday, starting right tackle Broderick Jones warned the rest of the league not to give them that help.
He shared a post on his Instagram story that said, “Slip up and let us in we kicking the door down.”
In the final week of the season, there are a few different teams that could be the one to slip up and give the Steelers a chance to make a run in the playoffs.
Who Needs To Slip Up For The Steelers To Get In
While oddsmakers currently see the Steelers as an underdog to make the playoffs, they have 5 different paths to the postseason.
The most likely way for them to get in is with a win over the Ravens. If the Steelers pick up a win in Sunday’s matchup then they have 3 different ways for their season to continue.
The Buffalo Bills could lose their game against the Miami Dolphins that will also decide the winner of the AFC East.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could lose to the Tennessee Titans in a matchup where they also have a chance to clinch their division.
The most unlikely path is for the Texans and Colts to tie in their battle for a playoff spot.
If the Steelers tie the Ravens, then they can get in with a Jaguars loss and the Colts-Texans game not ending in a tie.
Even if they lose to the Ravens, the Steelers will head into Sunday with some hope for a playoff spot.
In that scenario, they would need the Jaguars to lose, the Broncos to win, and the Colts and Texans to not tie.
Looking To End A Long Playoff Drought
While the team’s win against the Seahawks secured the 17th consecutive non-losing season for head coach Mike Tomlin, it has been a while since they’ve had success in the playoffs.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
Since then, they’ve gone 0-3 in their 3 playoff appearances.
That run includes a Divisional Round loss to the Jaguars in 2017 and Wild Card round losses to the Browns and Chiefs in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
2 of those losses came at home.
This season, the Steelers know they’ll be heading on the road if they get a shot at the playoffs and and will enter the game as underdogs.
However, the Steelers have been playing some of their best football of the season over the past couple of weeks and will bring a lot of momentum into the postseason if they get there.
If they get the opportunity, they clearly have at least one player that is confident in the team’s ability to end the drought if they get the opportunity.
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