The Pittsburgh Steelers' path in the 2024 playoffs is much clearer now than when the team held a 10-3 record just a few weeks ago. After a three-game losing streak, Pittsburgh fell to second place in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers are very likely to land either the fifth or sixth seed in the AFC playoff picture. That means the Steelers will likely go on the road to face either the Ravens or the Houston Texans. The Texans defeated the Joe Flacco-led Cleveland Browns in last year's Wild Card Round.
Last season, the Browns lost quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending injury midway through the year after a 6-3 start. Cleveland gave Dorian Thompson-Robinson a chance to take over under center for the remainder of the season, as he took down Pittsburgh at home the next week.
As many remember, Flacco would eventually take over as Cleveland's starter and led them to an 11-6 record as the AFC's fifth seed. Flacco and the Browns had high hopes of getting a Wild Card victory over then-rookie sensation CJ Stroud and the Texans, but Houston would end up demolishing Cleveland, 45-14.
Pittsburgh's last and only hope of winning the division and getting a home first-round playoff game would require a win over the Cincinnati Bengals and a Baltimore loss to Cleveland. With the odds of that not being in Pittsburgh's favor, it seems highly likely that the Steelers will be traveling to Houston for the first round of the playoffs.
Cleveland's 92.3 The Fan Afternoon Drive with Nick Wilson recently talked about Pittsburgh's struggles. Wilson was asked if he is enjoying how the Steelers' season is ending, and decided to make an interesting comparison between the two AFC North teams.
"They're setting up to be this year's you [Cleveland Browns]," Wilson said. "Like, they're going to be an 11-win team, they're gonna face Houston in the first round of the playoffs. There's a chance that Houston, who's not very good right now, just throttles them. And basically they would've had all of this for not. I mean, we've already seen [Andrew] Fillipponi do the Tomlin flip-flop."
"I'd rather be them [Pittsburgh Steelers], still, than us right now. Neither of you has any hope of getting better at the quarterback position going forward."
The last time the Steelers faced Houston was in Week 4 of 2023, when Kenny Pickett and the team got crushed by a score of 30-6. That loss quickly taught Steelers fans that the organization was far from being a true contender in the AFC, and it was a torturous game that most would like to forget.
Obviously, the Steelers are a far better team than the roster they had in the beginning of 2023. Pickett was replaced and the defense has mightily improved, so the Steelers should feel much better about their chances this time around. Although, with the product that they've put on the field as of late, it's quite possible the Steelers disappoint. On a positive note, the Texans have also played extremely poorly lately and have suffered key injuries.
Steelers Likely To Have Serious Organizational Changes If They Lose In Wild Card Round Yet Again
Mike Tomlin knows what's at stake within the next couple weeks. Omar Khan and the front office were very adamant about their expectations for 2024. Most would think a team who once held a 10-3 record should have no excuse for ending a season without a playoff victory.
The fan base is now beyond impatient and ready to root for a team that the rest of the NFL fears. Though Houston is a quality football team, Tomlin should have no excuse for not being able to go on the road and take down the Texans, who seem lost at this stage of the season.
Before an embarrassing losing skid, the Steelers were solidified Super Bowl contenders. By now, most outside of Pittsburgh have gotten off of that train and don't see this team making a deep run. Tomlin is ready to win another championship, and these next few weeks will ultimately determine whether that's a real possibility for him or not.
