The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost five postseason games in a row. It will be very tough to get over that hump, as they have to go on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens as 9.5-point underdogs on Saturday. There is so much to fix if the Steelers want to prove everyone wrong and show that they're more than a free Wild Card win for whoever they face.
Matt Freed / AP photo
Steelers' TJ Watt dances with the football after getting a big turnover against the Browns.
The last time the Steelers won a playoff game was in the 2016 season, the year before TJ Watt was drafted. Despite being one of, if not the greatest defensive player of his generation, he has yet to actually win a playoff game. He has talked about how that bothered him before, and it is no different now.
Watt told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette how much a win in the Wild Card Round would really mean to him, as well as the fact that he keeps talking about it to his teammates nonstop.
“All summer long, I’ve been preaching it when I first got here (at training camp), and it’s been something we’ve talked about since,” Watt said. “I haven’t won a playoff game since I’ve been here. So it’s very important to me.”
Watt missed the Steelers' most recent playoff defeat against the Buffalo Bills. Before that, Watt has been part of humiliating loss after humiliating loss. Pittsburgh has had a deficit of at least 20 points in every single postseason game since he arrived, whether he had anything to do with it or not.
NFL.com
TJ Watt scoops a loose ball for the first score in Pittsburgh's Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Watt even had a fumble returned for a touchdown in the 2021 Wild Card round to open up the scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers lost that game 42-21. Whether Watt has an impact on the playoff games or not, his team just never shows up to these big games, and he is rightfully sick and tired of it.
Watt's teammates have heard his pleas and are doing everything they can to undo the damage done by their current four-game losing streak, including having a "mosh pit" before practice, as well as doing work outdoors to get themselves used to the cold. There is still a lot of cleaning up that they have to do in terms of game planning and execution, but time will tell to see how much their efforts actually help.
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Head Coach Mike Tomlin admitted that he didn't want to establish a passing game because it was too risky, even though the league revolves around the quarterback and their ability to throw a football. The Steelers are going to have to utilize both the passing game and the running game if they want to beat the Ravens.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during Week 15 matchup against the Eagles.
Tomlin also needs to adjust his defense to match the opposing offense, as opposed to just calling what he wants to call and ignoring the scouting report. Usually, he does well with that specifically against the Ravens, but they finally beat the Steelers back in Week 16, so Tomlin will need to go back to the lab and find another way to exploit them.
The sad truth is if Tomlin continues to coach like he has been over the past handful of years, Watt may not win a playoff game while wearing black and gold. The Steelers are wasting the career of a generational talent. Who knows how long Watt's patience with the team lasts, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the 2025 season.
What do you think about Watt desperately wanting a playoff win? Let us know in the comments.
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