The Pittsburgh Steelers sit in the 9th place in the AFC heading into Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens with a shot to move up into playoff position after missing out last season.
Defeating Baltimore doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot for Pittsburgh, as they still need assistance. Technically, the Steelers don’t even require a win to enter the postseason, but securing a victory makes the path a lot simpler.
Pittsburgh’s playoff calculations are as follows:
1) Victory in Baltimore and Buffalo’s defeat in Miami OR 2) Victory in Baltimore and Jacksonville’s defeat in Tennessee OR 3) Jacksonville’s loss in Tennessee, Denver’s victory in Las Vegas and a non-tie result for Houston-Indianapolis.
For edge rusher T.J. Watt, the only focus is taking care of business Saturday afternoon and letting the chips fall where they may.
“I think the biggest message this week is to just focus on us in this game,” Watt said via the team’s official website. “We’ve been in the situation so many times where you can’t afford to look at, we need this to happen, we need that to happen. At the end of the day, if we don’t take care of our business, I know it sounds so cliche, but it really doesn’t matter.
We simply need to ensure that everyone in this locker room comprehends the significance of this game and prioritizes our responsibilities first and foremost.
Next Gen Stats currently has Pittsburgh with a 46% chance to make the playoffs. A win boosts those odds to 66%, while a loss leaves them with a 16% shot.
Undoubtedly, the Steelers would prefer to have full control over their playoff journey, especially after their consecutive home losses to Arizona and New England. However, considering the less than stellar performance of their offense at various points this season, the fact they still have a chance at the playoffs speaks volumes about Mike Tomlin’s team and their defensive prowess. This is all the more impressive considering they have only allowed an average of 19.6 points per game, despite a slew of injuries.
“Clearly, you’d prefer to make it on your own without assistance,” Watt stated. “However, we won’t wallow in self-pity in our current situation. We simply need to handle our affairs. We’ve been in this position previously.
As I previously stated, if we neglect our responsibilities, everything else is irrelevant.
The Steelers secured Tomlin’s 17th straight non-losing season, the most by a head coach to start his career. Pittsburgh also has a 20-year franchise streak of .500 or better, second most all time (behind Dallas’ 21 — 1965-1985).
Watt is on the verge of making history as the Steelers aim to return to the postseason.
The edge rusher is tied for the NFL lead with 17.0 sacks (Trey Hendrickson). If Watt takes the crown this season, he’d become the only player in NFL history to lead the NFL in sacks in three different seasons since the stat became official in 1982. Luckily for Watt, he won’t have to chase down Lamar Jackson, who is sitting Saturday, to add to his sack tally this season.
