3 reasons the Steelers could still make the playoffs in 2019

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very rough start to the 2019 NFL season. Here are three reasons why they could still make the playoffs.

The Steelers were in a horrible way to start the season. After dropping their first three games of 2019 to the Patriots, Seahawks, and 49ers, they joined a disheartening group of NFL teams whose playoff chances were next to none.

According to statistics gathered from Joe Osborne of Odds Shark, just 3.4 percent of teams to start the season 0-3 have made the playoffs since 1980 (6 of 176). Remarkably, the Houston Texans did so just last year.

Since their rocky start, Pittsburgh has won 2 of their last 3 games, and seem to be trending in the right direction. Here are three legitimate reasons why the Steelers have a chance to defy the odds and make the playoffs in 2019:

Strength of schedule:

The Steelers had a very disappointing start to 2019, but perhaps it speaks more to the strength of teams they played to start off the year. New England, Seattle, and San Francisco miraculously have a combined record of 16-1 on the season – statistically, the toughest opponents any team has had to face in 2019 to start the year.

Though Pittsburgh was blown out by New England, they kept pace with the Seahawks and 49ers, losing by 2 points and 4 points, respectively, in those contests.

The back half of the Steelers schedule is just the opposite. Though Pittsburgh has challenging matchups against the Rams and Colts after the bye week, they also get teams like the Dolphins, Bengals, Cardinals, and Jets.

The strength of schedule at the beginning of the year really put the Steelers in a bad spot, but an easy schedule to close the season could be their saving grace.