The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is starting to take a turn for the worse. While they held the top spot in the AFC North for most of this season, the Baltimore Ravens have stormed back to take first place. The Steelers and Ravens have the same record at 6-5, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker. Also, Baltimore has won five in a row, while Pittsburgh has been more up and down. The Steelers’ playoff hopes are slipping away, but James Harrison outlined how they can get back on track.
“We could salvage this season, but we have to knock off Baltimore twice,” Harrison said Tuesday on his Deebo and Joe podcast. “We have to beat Buffalo. Miami is a win. Cleveland is a win. Only problem is Buffalo, Baltimore, and Detroit…
“We’re probably lucky if we split with Baltimore. We got Buffalo. We need to win. Because if we don’t beat Buffalo, we have to beat Detroit. That means we’ve got to beat Baltimore, we’ve got to beat Miami, and we have to beat Detroit. We’ve got to get three in a row. We’re lucky if we get to .500.”
Harrison is correct that the Steelers’ remaining schedule isn’t easy. The Dolphins and Browns haven’t been great this season, but the Steelers’ other opponents are some of the best teams in the league. They next play the Bills, who are 7-4 currently and have the reigning MVP in Josh Allen as well as the NFL’s second-leading rusher in James Cook.
That’s not a favorable matchup for the Steelers. Then they’ve got to face the Ravens, their biggest rival. While the Ravens have stumbled for much of this season, they still have Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Those two dominated the Steelers twice last season, and Pittsburgh still has to play them twice.
If the Steelers win both their games against the Ravens, that could catapult them into the postseason. However, like Harrison says, that’s easier said than done. Neither of those games will be easy.
The Lions might be the best team left on the Steelers’ schedule. While they’re 7-4 and third in their division, they have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Specifically, their rushing attack is lethal. The combo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery could be a serious problem for the Steelers’ leaky run defense.
Also, Harrison isn’t even totally confident that the Steelers can beat the Browns.
“I’m hoping we can beat Cleveland, although the way Myles [Garrett] has been playing, I’m scared. I’m nervous.”
Garrett’s recent run should have every NFL offense concerned. He’s got 18 sacks this season, including 13 in the last four games. While he didn’t do much in the Browns’ first matchup against the Steelers this year, if he continues this hot streak, that might not happen again.
Ultimately, the Steelers’ failures have Harrison pessimistic about the team’s prospects.
“I just wanna be able to sit there and be like, ‘This is the Pittsburgh Steelers. We at least in the playoffs.’ I’ve done lowered my standard,” he said. “I’m just trying to get there. I’m now hoping for .500.”
The Steelers might be feeling the same way, especially if they lose to the Bills this week. They are already on the outside looking in at the playoffs. They’ll need to play some of their best football down the stretch if they want to actually fight for a playoff win.
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