Steelers vs Panthers: A bad team’s rooting guide for Week 15

The Pittsburgh Steelers are virtually eliminated from playoff contention as they prepare for Week 15. Here’s what we should be rooting for against the Panthers.

Mike Tomlin has never been in a situation quite like this before. With a month left to go in the 2022 regular season, his team has essentially been eliminated from playoff contention. His streak of never having a losing season is very much in jeopardy, and winning out likely does nothing for them at this point.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte this Sunday. Both teams sit on a 5-8 record, but the opponent actually has something to play for. An abysmal NFC South is wide open right now as the Panthers are just one game back from the 6-7 Buccaneers.

We know how the Steelers operate. Tomlin and his staff will do everything in their power to make sure they come away with a victory in Week 15, but there are a few things far more important than winning at this point. Here’s your rooting guide for a bad Pittsburgh team this Sunday:

Steelers must see more out of young players

The quarterback storyline shouldn’t be as big of a deal as the media is making it out to be. It’s quite simple really: If Kenny Pickett is cleared and able to play, we should all be hoping for a huge performance. If not, what does it matter? Neither Mitch Trubisky nor Mason Rudolph is the future. Because of this, Steelers fans need to fix their eyes on players who we need to see more from.

Pittsburgh has plenty of big holes to fill in the offseason and some massive decisions to make in terms of how to invest their money and draft capital. During these final four games (starting with the Panthers), I would love to see players like LB Mark Robinson, RB Jaylen Warren, DL Isaiahh Loudermilk, and DL DeMarvin Leal play tons of snaps down the stretch so that Pittsburgh can really see what they have in these guys.

Steelers need to limit snaps of star players

While rooting for younger players to get more looks against the Panthers in Week 15, Steelers fans should also be on board with limiting the snaps of Pittsburgh’s star players. Personally, I think that T.J. Watt has been very overworked since returning from a pectoral injury and knee surgery. Now our best player is dealing with a rib issue that is clearly impacting his performance on the field.

Watt isn’t the only one. We know who Cameron Heyward is at this point, and without playoffs to look forward to, Teryl Austin should play him sparingly down the stretch. Heyward turns 34 during the offseason, and who knows how much is left in the tank. No sense in wearing him out for meaningless games.

Steelers need to… lose?

I know this team is all about winning, and some fans will never actively root for the team to lose — regardless of what state they are in. However, there’s no doubt in my mind that losing now would prove to be most beneficial to this team in the long run.

If the Steelers string together a good stretch of games to close the season, not only will they still fall short of a playoff berth, but it could make it so Mike Tomlin and the front office doesn’t make necessary changes next offseason (like getting rid of Matt Canada). The team also needs to be concerned with draft positioning at this point. Pittsburgh hasn’t picked inside the top 10 naturally since taking Plaxico Burress all the way back in 2000. They are long overdue for an elite draft pick that could help turn this franchise around.