Fans had high hopes for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. After three straight wins to close out the 2023 regular season, many were hoping that momentum would be on Pittsburgh's side. Unfortunately, the Bills had as much momentum as anyone entering the postseason.
This game was originally slated to be played on Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, and many NFL analysts believed the snowy field conditions would have favored Pittsburgh. However, the extreme weather conditions forced the game to be postponed -- allowing time for the snowstorm to clear.
Still, we were hopeful that Pittsburgh could make this a close contest. So far, it hasn't been.
The Bills marched the ball down the field for a touchdown on their very first possession. Shortly after, a costly George Pickens fumble on Buffalo's side of the field led to another quick score. Eventually, the Bills ran away to a 21-0 lead over the Steelers before Pittsburgh answered back with a score with under two minutes remaining before the half.
Steelers could suffer their worst playoff loss ever
Even with the momentum Mike Tomlin's team gained just before halftime, the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently on pace to suffer their worst defeat in playoff history. Currently, this record belongs to the 1989 Steelers when they suffered a 28-point loss to the Raiders in a 38-10 postseason whooping.
As we enter the half, the Steelers trail by 14 points. If things continue down this route, the Steelers could tie (and potentially even break) their own record for their worst playoff loss in history.
This is not a defeat that will be met kindly by the fanbase. Hopefully, they can make the proper adjustments at halftime and turn things around in the final two quarters. To be fair, there were some costly plays (like the Pickens fumble and an interception in the endzone) that could have yielded very different results had they gone the other direction.
Something tells me that Tomlin's squad is going to turn things around and make this a ball game. There's no doubt that Pittsburgh looks outmatched at the moment, but the Steelers know what's on the line here. They're going to give it everything they've got, and we are going to pray that that's enough.