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The Pittsburgh Steelers have put themselves in position to make a deep playoff run, holding a first-round bye after securing one of the top two seeds in the AFC following a strong regular season.
With the expected return of All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown for the divisional round, the Steelers will have their entire array of offensive weapons available. As a result, All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell made it clear that there are no excuses for Pittsburgh not to make a serious push toward the Super Bowl.
Per Katherine Terrell of ESPN:
Article Continues Below“We want to feel like we’re going in full power, full strength for the playoffs and if we lose, then we’ll be like ‘OK, we lost at full strength, there’s nothing we can say about it. There’s no more excuses now,'” Bell said. “We’ve got to get back there, get there and win games and if guys beat us the way we are, then so be it.”
The Steelers boast one of the league's most explosive offenses behind their balanced attack that heavily features Bell in both the running and passing game. The 25-year-old is also coming off a highly productive campaign, finishing third in the league with 1,291 rushing yards and 10th overall with 85 catches. He earned the AFC offensive player of the month award for December, compiling 569 total yards and six touchdowns.
Pittsburgh certainly has the pieces in place to win a championship, but their Achilles heel is their inability to win in Foxborough against the New England Patriots. It is a hurdle this current iteration of the Steelers has yet to overcome at this point. A disappointing 27-24 loss at home in Week 15 is the difference between hosting the AFC title game and having to play it in New England.
The cards are certainly lined up for the Steelers to make a strong push in the playoffs; it's just a matter of them making the most of their opportunity.
