It’s AFC rankings, not NFL. You can raise questions about the Steelers being over the Texans specifically, but it’s not wild.

Yes. If we keep pace with the Ravens and defeat them in Baltimore, we’re in.

If Fitzpatrick returns and the team stays healthy, optimistically the Steelers team in Week 13 is stronger than ever. Our full suite of superstar talent plus the rookies, minus Canada.

Meanwhile the Ravens are limping. They could easily fare worse going down the stretch with a tougher schedule. The Steelers may be the better team in Week 18 if they aren’t already. Lamar Jackson has yet to give Pittsburgh a reason to be afraid.

The Browns are another factor. The Steeler’d us so you would think they had figured out how to win, but surging Denver took one from them.

Speaking of those teams, the AFC Wild Card race is starting to look crowded and if the Steelers lose more than one game they could be toast. Winning the AFC North at 13-4 or 12-5 might be our best shot at the playoffs. Going into Baltimore with ten wins and squeaking out a gimme versus backups could leave us out behind some combination of Denver, Buffalo, Houston, and Cleveland.

Really winning the North is plan A, and Tomlin’s big ass cross is for plan B.

Limas Sweed “cost” us a few games and in 2009 we were indeed one game out. However considering how they’re winning this season it seems ridiculous that the 2009 offense with Ben, Holmes, Ward, and Wallace would need Sweed to win them games. They could and did blow people out along with a dynastic defense that was suffering injuries in between dominant seasons. Crazy that this season has had thus far the same result when our QB and OC are both much much worse. Our defense has even suffered similar injuries at DE and safety. The rookie class are huge difference makers this year though, absolute bomb draft.

Tomlin has always delegated the entire offense. He is literally responsible and when he’s at a podium he says he’s responsible, but I think he’s resistant to shift his focus away from the defense (which is hella paid and making him look good). To a certain extent I agree that Tomlin shifting his time management to fix the offense would not help anyone.

Who made the personnel and play calling decisions in the 4th quarter? The win was there, Kenny missed it to wide open DJ, and the coaches missed it by not feeding Warren. Personally I think underusing Warren was the biggest crime in the game. When you are playing an amazing defense, why would you be picky about how you’re beating them? An NFL coach should be more clever.

That only works if you can protect the quarterback. Green Bay did a great job.

Minkah reminded me a little bit of Nacho Vargas from Better Call Saul. He was intense about this play. And Omar Epps was there too! The Steelers has a great cast

Considering that a lot of his receiving options are screwed by the play design, I’d say he has impressed me with how he has taken care of the ball and produced in key moments for their wins. I was looking forward to the rest of the season as hopefully the bad plays would stop getting called as much and Pickett would develop a bit. Honestly his sideline game with Pickens and timing game with DJ seemed extremely hard to defend in LA. If he’s out for an extended period then there’s no choice but to look elsewhere next year because the production hasn’t been there.