In 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers had an opportunity to break their playoff-win drought. Unfortunately, after sitting at 10-3 at one point, they eventually fell apart. The Steelers went on a four-game losing streak to end 2024, followed by a blowout loss in the playoffs. They were aggressive this offseason in trying to solve their postseason problems. That included adding even more talent to their defense. Mike Tomlin is confident that unit can be special, but analyst Jason McIntyre doesn’t agree with that assessment.
“I love the optimism,” McIntyre said Friday on FS1’s The Herd. “I’m a huge Mike Tomlin fan. Mike, what are you talking about? They have zero playoff wins since 2016, same as my Jets. I know, they were 10-3 last year. I know you’re gonna tell me that. ‘They were 10-3, they were close.’ They were 10-3 frauds.
“That’s the reality. It was all smoke and mirrors, and that showed up late in the season and in the playoffs once again. It is disappointing. I know Steelers fans are gonna be upset. ‘We’re close, we’re over .500 every year.’ If that’s gonna make you happy, fine. I don’t see a bright future in Pittsburgh this season or going forward.”
It’s fair to criticize how the Steelers ended 2024. They didn’t live up to the excitement that was building up around them. However, it’s also important to note that going into the season expectations were low for Tomlin and the Steelers. Not many people expected them to be in the playoff picture.
Despite that, Tomlin’s Steelers sat atop the AFC North for much of the year. They overachieved compared to what many people’s expectations were for them.
Going into this season, much of the discussion around the Steelers is the same. That includes McIntyre’s comments. Tomlin and the Steelers get criticized for putting such emphasis on building a great defense. However, that’s their strength, so they should lean into it.
Are the Steelers Super Bowl contenders right now? Probably not. Could they change that? Yes, depending on how their team looks throughout the season. The reality is that they were a solid team for much of last year. And this offseason they improved their roster.
If the Steelers can correct the issues that plagued them to end 2024, then they could finally make some noise in the playoffs. They aren’t the favorite to win the AFC, but Tomlin has proven in the past that his team shouldn’t be doubted.
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