The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to manifest momentum heading into the postseason. They know that they have no chance of winning in the Wild Card Round if they dwell on their recent losses. While a four-game losing streak does need to be acknowledged and corrected by all means necessary, it's still important to move forward with a positive mentality. It won't be easy to walk into M&T Bank Stadium and dominate the Baltimore Ravens for 60 minutes, however. Many things need to change, and they at least have two things down: the mentality and energy.
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Steelers' Cam Sutton and Donte Jackson before a preseason game against the Lions.
Cornerback Donte Jackson told the media all about how they are feeling, and how that energy is skyrocketing like it needs to.
Donte Jackson said there’s been great energy for the Steelers since Monday despite the 4-game skid. They had a “mosh pit” to start practice today. And he adds that if they were on a 4-game win streak, those victories wouldn’t matter in the playoffs either.
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) January 7, 2025
What better way to manufacture energy than to rock out in a mosh pit, even if it's not at an actual concert? The Steelers know what's at stake, and they need to do everything they can to upset their division rivals and finally break the streak of losing in the playoffs. Morale needs to jump from an all-time low to an all-time high.
Jackson continued on, saying that this matchup would "change everything."
"This [game] is going to change everything," said Jackson. "You won't really be worrying about anything that happened or anything that's coming down the road. Just worry about this one right here. Saturday night, primetime, against a division opponent. It don't get better than that."
Obviously, there is more to winning in the playoffs than feeling great. Last time the Steelers played the Ravens, there were accusations of constant miscommunication and guys not putting in a complete team effort. Those issues need to be cleaned up, so they don't have to worry about giving up free yards and points once again.
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Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith attempts to bring down Ravens running back Gus Edwards in a heated rivalry matchup.
Steelers' Jackson Accidentally Gave Advice To Ravens As Well
Jackson is not wrong about how the winning/losing streak doesn't matter, especially if they fail to win in the playoffs. However, the team they are facing in the Wild Card Round is currently riding a four-game winning streak, which is why it has the three seed, and the Steelers have the six seed.
The Ravens have been nothing short of red-hot during their win streak. One of those wins was the aforementioned division matchup where the Steelers ended up pointing fingers at each other, while Baltimore dominated them in the second half. The Steelers are doing everything they can to feel good, but the Ravens are already on cloud nine.
If Baltimore gets too cocky and expects a free trip to the Divisional Round, Pittsburgh may be able to swoop in and steal the win. While the Steelers are trying to make themselves feel great, the Ravens might need to come down from their own high. They need to put their wins in the past and focus on beating their division rival at home once again.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson moments before a fumble against the Ravens.
Neither team can just lay back and wait for their opponent to hand them the victory on a silver platter. There is still plenty of work to be done by both teams. Entering the game, the Ravens do have all of the momentum.
Either way, both teams still have a lot to work on. The stakes are already high for this rivalry, and they've been raised even higher. The mosh pit may help the Steelers, but it will take more than that to get everyone back on the same page. The true effect of everything Pittsburgh tries to do will be shown on Saturday night when the ball is kicked off.
What do you think about how the Steelers are trying to get themselves out of this losing streak, as well as the Ravens' momentum entering the playoffs? Let us know in the comments.
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