So you’re telling me there’s a chance? The once 0-4 Pittsburgh Steelers actually have a chance in week 17 of the 2013 NFL season to claim the 6th seed in the AFC and qualify for the NFL playoffs. Granted they also need the New York Jets to win on the road, a probably resting Kansas City Chiefs squad to beat San Diego, and the Cincinnati Bengals to win against Baltimore but the fact the Steelers are even in the race is almost unfathomable to me.
This is the same team that lost to Oakland, Minnesota, and Tennessee in embarrassing fashion not to mention the historic beat down in Foxboro. However, this team has rallied to show some serious heart and never quit. Remember, this team could have easily tanked and been 3-12 at this point with a chance at Jake Matthews or Sammy Watkins but their focus and determination to try and make things right is simply remarkable.
This is a testament to coach Mike Tomlin and his pulse on the team. Coach Tomlin has been ridiculed by Steeler nation for the slow start from the offense and the sloppy play from the defense but again fans need to realize this team could have quit on him and not competed for the rest of the season. It happens all over the league with coaches. One would think that players simply should compete and be professional because they are being paid a king’s ransom to play a child’s game but that’s hardly ever the case without leadership. Coach Tomlin deserves some credit for the team’s turnaround.
Now onto the whirlwind that was the Green Bay game Sunday. This pseudo playoff game was mixed with high-scoring, defensive plays made by both teams, and awful officiating calls namely the blocked field goal debacle. For the life of me, I can’t understand why the referees could not see that Ryan Clark had possession of the blocked field goal and was down prior throwing the lateral. That call very much reminded me of the Troy Polamalu interception/fumble that ended up being overturned in the 2005 Divisional Playoff game against the Colts. Luckily, like eight years ago, the Steelers were able to overcome that mistake and win the game.
Another huge talking point was the last offensive possession. A lot of Steelers fans are complaining about the clock management in that situation. I understand the thought process of running down the clock until you tell me to take a field goal instead of a touchdown. In climate weather + pressure kick + season on the line = human error. The snap could have been mishandled by the holder, the snap could have been imperfect as it was all day, and the kicker could’ve shanked it.
Also, these fans don’t take into account the porous coverage unit following the touchdown. If they even remotely do their job, Matt Flynn is probably facing a 70 yard field with 1:00 left and no timeouts. Even the underwhelming Steelers secondary could’ve held on for the win in that scenario. Also, I’m not sure the clock would’ve ran down far enough for the Packers to not have time for a return + a field goal kick to tie the game and go to overtime. Ultimately, this doesn’t matter because they won and Tomlin’s decision didn’t become the season-ender.
The Packers was also enlightening for me because it answered questions about some players and the direction the Steelers should go in the future.
1) LeVeon Bell has officially put to rest whether picking him over Eddie Lacy in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL draft was a bad decision. He proved to be every bit of what the Steelers envisioned. He displayed the many facets to his game Sunday that made him attractive to the Steelers several months ago. He will only get better as the offensive line play improves and the game slows down for him. While I do not know what is in store for his career, I do know that I’m confident that the Steelers made a great decision on finding and pulling the trigger on Bell regardless of what Lacy does in his career.
2) Cody Wallace and Fernando Velasco’s play his season has officially made Maurkice Pouncey expendable. The week 1 season ending injury to Pouncey I thought meant Ben Roethlsiberger literally getting killed on the field. However, Velasco’s ability to come into the position off the street and perform as well as Pouncey throughout the season was one of the pleasant surprises of the season. Then he got injured and I thought all hope was lost again. Then Cody Wallace comes in and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. This is a testament to Coach Bicknell’s ability to instill the “next man up” mentality on the offensive line and not have the system fall apart due to one absence. What does this mean for Pouncey? Maybe with his athleticism, they try him at guard and retain the services of Velasco and Wallace. I’m going to pay very close attention to how that scenario unfolds.
It’s still a long shot to make the playoffs for the Steelers and they have only themselves to blame to leave their playoff fate in the hands of three different teams but this team has strong character. Watching them I can tell they put their best efforts out there to make plays even in situations where they aren’t good enough to make a particular play. If they sneak into the playoffs, the Steelers will more than likely face the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. Who in Steeler nation does not like their chances against a team they beat handily a couple of weeks ago. Christmas came early for the Steelers and I for one am ecstatic I am still watching meaningful football from my team December 29.
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