4 players who need to step up for Steelers to make the playoffs

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs this year. Here are four players who need to step up in order to make the tournament. 

Following the Steelers has been a rollercoaster ride this season. After a dismal 1-3 start, Pittsburgh won four straight games only to turn around and have a lousy month of November. Now we’re all waiting to go back up that hill in December, but so far, no such luck.

Losing to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 was a devastating blow to this team on the fence of playoff contention. With a record of 6-6-1, Pittsburgh needs to pull it together in a hurry in order to have any chance at all to make the playoffs, and these four players need to step up for this team down the stretch.

Steelers CB Cameron Sutton

I had reasonably high hopes for cornerback Cameron Sutton this year. In a part-time role as the team’s dime defender over the past few seasons, Sutton seemed to impress whenever he stepped onto the field. However, this year has not been great, and somehow, it’s been getting worse.

Against the Vikings in Week 14, I think Sutton might have had the worst game in his professional career. Trying to cover Justin Jefferson is no easy tasked, but the veteran cornerback was torched time and again. By the end of the night, he was credited for allowing 111 passing yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 targets, according to Pro Football Reference.

In addition, Sutton has just 1 interception in his last 23 games dating back to Week 5 of the 2020 season. There has been virtually no splash from Sutton this year and he needs to change that if this team wants to squeak into the playoffs.