Despite being a near replicant of every season since 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 season was nothing short of a disappointment. Yet again, the Steelers find themselves having a record better than their talent would suggest they are capable with an early and emphatic exit from the NFL Playoffs.
There were a few pivotal moments throughout the course of the season that led to the same tired end of the campaign. While it might not be the healthiest practice, looking back on them and wondering "What If?" can bring about some catharsis.
After all, there were points in the season where Steelers fans were right to be optimistic - before it all came tumbling down. These are three key moments that stuck out to me from the season.
#3: What if the Steelers Don't Lose to the Cleveland Browns?
The earliest sign that the 2024 season could end just as badly as fans have grown accustomed to was a Thursday night loss to the Cleveland Browns in a snowstorm. Pittsburgh struggled to adapt to the elements offensively while the defense showed its first cracks in the armor.
The annoying aspect of this game is that Browns quarterback Jameis Winston was benched three weeks later against the Kansas City Chiefs as the Browns lost the remainder of their games. The Steelers only won two more games afterward, one against the Browns two weeks later.
Had Pittsburgh handled business against the Browns and the results of every game until Week 18 held true, the Steelers would have controlled their own destiny in the final week to win the AFC North against the Cincinnati Bengals. Of course, a mid-November win doesn't guarantee a January win, but the confidence in the situation could have impacted the outcome.
Nonetheless, the loss to Cleveland was an embarrassing performance that only helped to bring along more embarrassing performances down the stretch.
#2: What if Russell Wilson Doesn't Fumble Against Baltimore?
Before Russell Wilson fumbled inside the 10-yard line on a 19-yard scramble, the Steelers offense was holding serve with Baltimore in a back-and-forth contest. That fumble changed everything. Instead of taking the lead, the Steelers' defense relinquished an 8-play, 96-yard touchdown drive to the Ravens.
Had Wilson slid, avoided the would-be tackler or simply held onto the football, the Steelers would have been in a position to tie the game before halftime.
While one first-half play doesn't sway the outcome of a game too often, this was a case where the Steelers put themselves in an unnecessary hole. Pittsburgh, to its credit, did tie the game back up in the third quarter before the game broke open in Baltimore's favor.
However, this momentum swing bled into the rest of the game until eventually the Steelers defense was gashed by Derrick Henry just before Russell Wilson through a game-sealing pick-six.
Again, had Pittsburgh won this game, they would have controlled their destiny in Week 18 to win the division. Instead, reality happened.
#1. What if the Steelers Didn't Switch to Russell Wilson?
After the Steelers began the season 4-2 with Justin Fields at quarterback, Mike Tomlin made the call to go with Wilson for the remainder of the season. Wilson began the season injured, but despite some slow starts, he played his part well enough early on to give Steelers fans some confidence.
Still, after a five-game losing streak to end the season during which Wilson looked like the guy in Denver in 2022, Steelers fans surely began to doubt whether or not the switch was the right thing to do.
As some analysts have pointed out, the Steelers know they have two quarterbacks capable of starting in 2025, but they don't know which one is the right guy. Both have their positives and both certainly have their drawbacks, but with neither under contract for next season, the Steelers are in a pickle.
READ MORE: With Mike Tomlin at the helm, the Steelers' culture is in danger
Whether or not the Steelers season ends any differently is a real question. The 11 games after Fields had just as many positive takeaways as it did negative (if you're being rather optimistic). But Fields did offer one thing that Wilson didn't, which was mobility.
Sure, Wilson scrambled some, but he also ate a lot of sacks after his first read was taken away and he froze in the pocket. Fields misses quite a few throws because of accuracy deficiency, but he wasn't nearly as prone to sacks.
This is the biggest 'What If' of the season considering there's no telling where the season goes if Tomlin sticks with Fields. It could have been a disaster all the same - or Fields could have grown into a legitimate franchise quarterback and brought the team greater success. There's no way to know, and unfortunately, the future may not hold any answers depending on how the front office handles the quarterback position this offseason.