'I get by with a little help from my friends.' The Pittsburgh Steelers should have these classic lyrics from The Beatles on repeat entering Week 16. While Mike Tomlin's team was in Philadelphia getting their teeth kicked in by the Eagles on Sunday, a pair of AFC playoff teams took care of business elsewhere.
During the Steelers game, you probably never gave a second thought as to what was going on in Houston and Denver. The Texans hosted the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 while the Broncos played at home against the Indianapolis Colts. The results of these two contests were exactly what the Steelers needed to cash their ticket into the playoffs.
Entering Week 15, the Dolphins and Colts sat on 6-7 records. With the Texans defeating the Dolphins in a 20-12 contest and the Broncos easily taking care of business against the Colts in a 31-13 outing, the Steelers are officially a lock to make the postseason this year.
After the Colts and Dolphins dropped to 6-8, they couldn't match Pittsburgh's record even if they win the rest of their games and the Steelers lose their final three contests of the season.
Technically, there's still a path to the playoffs for the Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals in the AFC, but for one of these teams to get in, they would need a flawless performance the rest of the way while relying on a team like the Chargers, Broncos, or Ravens to lose out.
Steelers get a gift despite ugly loss vs. Eagles
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like anything but a playoff team in their dismal showing against the Eagles in Week 15. The offense gained just 163 total yards compared to 401 yards for the Eagles while Mike Tomlin's team was nearly doubled in time of possession.
Even good teams have bad games... and we're hoping the Steelers are a better team than the one we just saw in Philly.
Thankfully, a secured seat in the playoffs makes everything a little bit better. This doesn't guarantee the Steelers that they will be hosting a home game in the Wild Card round, but they will at least have a shot to make a miraculous three-game run to reach the Super Bowl.
The @steelers have clinched their spot in the #NFLPlayoffs!#EasyToCelebrate @budlight pic.twitter.com/Oia1VGiMa2
— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024
Now it's about getting right and getting healthy.
The Steelers must find a way to overcome the absence of George Pickens while doing their best to avoid late-season injuries that could carry on into the playoffs. We already saw an injury scare with T.J. Watt late in the fourth quarter of Week 15, and the last thing we need is for a star player to be absent in Round 1 of the playoffs.
Sadly, this is exactly what we witnessed in the Wild Card round of the postseason last year. Watt was unable to suit up against the Buffalo Bills, and the Steelers quickly exited the tournament.
Pittsburgh did not look like a serious contender against the Eagles, but they still have three weeks to turn things around and get healthy for the playoffs. At the very least, it's comforting to know their ticket to the postseason is secure.