The Pittsburgh Steelers have had back-to-back emotional and hard-hitting games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos yet they’ve done nothing other than maintain their playoff chances.
Necessary wins? Of course but the prize still awaits. You win games like the last two to put yourself into position for what is the ultimate goal; the playoffs.
Therefore I’m stunned to see columns and articles about the potential for a “letdown” coming as the Steelers travel to Baltimore. Letdown?? How in the world would this team possibly have a letdown heading into a divisional revenge game?
If the Steelers have a letdown in Baltimore or Cleveland for that matter then we have greatly over-estimated just how good this team is. Furthermore, wouldn’t we have to seriously question Mike Tomlin as well? The Steelers are in fact ready to kick the door in on the playoffs but they aren’t in yet. No team that is perceived as the “most dangerous team heading into the playoffs” goes into this week’s game and has a “letdown.”
We are talking Baltimore here aren’t we? One of our most hated rivals is down and when your rival is down you kick them. Ravens’ Head Coach John Harbaugh is already pleading with fans to show up Sunday in an effort to slow down the oncoming rush of Steelers’ Nation who will no doubt grab up tickets to this one.
Letdown? This team beat you back in the early portion of the season. They had no business doing so even with Mike Vick playing QB but those were the days of Josh Scobee too but at the end of the day the Steelers lost.
As great of a motivator as revenge is, there are bigger fish to fry here as well. One is the playoffs and that’s a far greater bit of revenge than just beating the Ravens in and of itself is. I fully expect the Steelers to come out firing on all cylinders on Sunday and you should too.
Granted, in the NFL you take a win any way you can get it and by any means necessary but that statement is never more true than when your team is on the cusp of the playoffs.
Letdown? That’s ridiculous.
2 comments
So was last week a let down, in the first half? We didn’t really think so but it’s quite possible it took them a half of play to get their heads out of their collective rear ends. As Mike Mitchell talked about on Sirius this week, he said they just didn’t play well and were not on the same page and not communicating well as a team in the first half. Maybe that’s let down type of scenario but who knows.
The Steelers have been in “win or the season’s over” mode for three weeks, have just come off two pretty emotional games in a row and we have seen them bring down their level of intensity when facing bad teams in the past. That gives me pause. I’m glad they’re not playing the Browns or Titans this week, let’s put it that way.
I think you can make a case that they will be able to generate some intensity because it’s Baltimore week. But, let’s not pretend that the Ravens pose any threat; at least not on paper. It would almost be better if they did.
I also think the point that Matt made above about the way the team played when they came out last week, in a game that they had to win, is valid. Even the offense came out slow. Other than the TD that the D spotted them in the first quarter (courtesy of Will Allen and Mike Mitchell), the O started with two punts, an interception and two field goals. The first field goal was kicked on 4th and goal. The Steelers can’t open games like that in the playoffs and expect to win.
Playing emotional games like that can become exhausting. It can also bring out the very best in a team.
It remains to be seen which result the Steelers will manifest, but I, for one, am not taking anything for granted. What’s more, I hope that Tomlin and his staff are not either.