The Pittsburgh Steelers finished off the 2024 season in brutal fashion. At one point, they were sitting at 10-3, and many pundits were labeling them as Super Bowl contenders. The team's promising start quickly vanished, however, as they lost four straight regular season games. To top it off, their playoff run ended with another loss, making it five straight defeats to close out the 2024 season. Steelers fans were understandably furious and disappointed by the sudden collapse.
Getty Images
Steelers' Joey Porter looks on before a game.
In the midst of the frustration, former Steelers linebacker and coach Joey Porter has made some interesting comments. On Wednesday, Porter shared his thoughts on the team’s season during an appearance on The Bill Michaels Show. Despite the disappointing finish, Porter suggested that the Steelers weren’t as far off from a Super Bowl as many might think.
Porter's claim may seem outrageous to some, but he believes the team’s failures came down to just a few key moments. He argued that, with some better execution in critical situations, the Steelers could have been in the Super Bowl conversation despite their late-season struggles. The statement has sparked conversation among fans and analysts, leaving many wondering if Porter might be onto something or simply offering an overly optimistic perspective on a painful season.
"As crazy as it sounds, even this year, it wasn't that far away," Porter said. "It's plays that separate, it's a few plays in each game that determine whether you win or lose the game. I think when we went on that five-game losing streak, it was a chance in every last one of those games if we do X, Y, Z, don't start off with a penalty, or don't do this, that we had a chance to win those games."
Porter's statement holds some truth, and many true football fans will understand what he’s trying to say. Football is indeed a game of inches, and small moments can dramatically alter the course of a game. Key plays, whether positive or negative, can shift the momentum.
G. N. Lowrance / Getty Images
Steelers former linebacker Joey Porter Sr. hoists his sons after winning Super Bowl XL.
However, the counterargument is clear—while those small moments may matter, losing five straight games without addressing the underlying issues suggests a team is much further away from a Super Bowl than Porter would have you believe.
Down the stretch, the Steelers made a significant shift in their approach, reverting to a conservative, run-first strategy that left them trailing in games. When they finally tried to open up the offense, it was too late—they were already well behind on the scoreboard.
Steelers Coaching Staff Never Fixed Glaring Issues During 5-Game Losing Streak
The defense was asked to do far too much, and the same issues that plagued the team during their first loss reappeared in their fifth, the playoff defeat to the Baltimore Ravens. The lack of adjustments and failure to correct these recurring problems led many Steelers fans to feel that, despite Porter’s optimism, their team was further from Super Bowl contention than he’s willing to admit.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a snowy game in Cleveland.
In the end, while Porter’s words may resonate with some, they don't quite align with the reality the Steelers face. The team’s late-season collapse and their inability to fix glaring issues left fans questioning whether they’re on the right path. Even the usually confident Tomlin watched in disbelief as he saw his team crumble in the most critical moments.
Until those problems are addressed, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers being legitimate Super Bowl contenders, no matter how close they may have been in Porter’s view. The Steelers will have plenty of concerns to address in the 2025 offseason if they truly want to get back in the Super Bowl hunt. Many are beginning to see the team as far removed from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. In Porter’s eyes, the Steelers were close in 2024. But in the eyes of fans and pundits, they weren’t even in the conversation.
#SteelerNation
