The Pittsburgh Steelers have just finished a miraculous offensive performance, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 34-11. Coming into the game, Pittsburgh was barely averaging 16 points per game, but the offense led by Mason Rudolph exploded, collecting three first-half touchdowns and two deep strikes to George Pickens. Starting center Mason Cole commented on the play-calling that led to the impressive game, stating that Head Coach Mike Tomlin came out of the gates ready to swing.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens scoots into the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers have rarely seen offensive production like they did against the Bengals, and that comes after naming Rudolph the starting quarterback days before the game kicked off. Leaning on a third-string quarterback will likely get a team into some troubled waters, but it was the opposite for Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Rudolph threw for a Steelers season-high 290 yards, while Pickens led the receiving core with four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a performance Pittsburgh fans were impressed with, as both the playbook and field were opened for the Steelers to fully utilize. Cole said after the game that Tomlin came into the game prepared to take deep shots and be as aggressive as possible.
"Coach [Tomlin] talked about it earlier this week that we got to be able to take those shots and kind of let our nuts hang out there," Cole mentioned. "There just ain't nothing to lose. Good to see the success down there, and good to see us complete those shots. It changed the game for us."
This game also comes as a statement for Tomlin, as many fans and analysts were calling for his removal from the team. Many believed that the character issues and lack of effort from Pickens recently were from Tomlin's approach to coaching, as he doesn't have the most stellar track record when it comes to challenging wide receivers. Tomlin has always been a tough and aggressive coach, and he showed his true colors in Week 16 in order to snap a three-game losing streak and keep the Steelers in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
Getty Images
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin yells in the direction of one of his players during a professional football game.
The Steelers offense fell just three yards short of their second 400-yard game in the 2023 season, which also occurred against the Bengals. Pittsburgh, once again, proved that they have the pieces in place to manage an elite offense, but all of those play-makers need to fire on all cylinders for the team to be successful. Pittsburgh's defense looked just as impressive as the offense, forcing three interceptions from Jake Browning and limiting a powerful Cincinnati offense to only one touchdown. Pittsburgh looked like a playoff-caliber team in Week 16, and now they must ride that momentum into the last two weeks of the season.
Steelers Path To The Playoffs Is Open
With this most recent win over the Bengals, Pittsburgh now holds the tiebreaker over them, even with both of their records equal at 8-7. The Steelers still have to play the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens, which will both be tough games. Seattle is in hot pursuit of the last Wild Card spot in the NFC, in not too different of a situation than the Steelers. If Baltimore wins in Week 16 and 17, they may choose to rest their starters against Pittsburgh in Week 18, which could give the Steelers an easy win.
Getty Images
The last time the Steelers won a playoff game was a 2017 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pittsburgh must win out and finish 10-7 to have a shot at the Wild Card, but will need help from several teams regardless. Losing to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 hurt their playoff odds, so the Steelers need many teams throughout the league to do them some favors in the season's final three weeks. The Steelers still have a fair shot at making the postseason, but it's going to come down to the wire.
What do you think of Cole's comments and Tomlin's attitude heading into the last weeks of the season? Will the Steelers make the playoffs? Give us your thoughts in a comment!
#SteelerNation
