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The Pittsburgh Steelers may have finished the 2024 regular season on a four-game losing streak, but they managed to find their way into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the AFC. Now, they will have to try and snap that losing streak in a do-or-die game against the red hot Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.
Not much was expected of the Steelers this year, but they managed to exceed expectations once again, posting a 10-7 record. The team revitalized Russell Wilson under center, while locking their opponents up with one of the top defenses in the league. They struggled down the stretch, yes, but when they play their best football, Pittsburgh is an incredibly tough team to beat.
For insight on the Steelers' playoff matchup with the Ravens, listen below:
Every team has flaws, and the Steelers' flaws have been exposed repeatedly over the past month. Ideally, they would not enter the postseason on a losing streak, and while there's time for them to turn things around, it's clear that one fatal flaw will prevent Pittsburgh from ultimately going on to win the Super Bowl this year.
Steelers fatal flaw: Lack of offensive firepower
It hasn't always been pretty, but the Steelers have found ways to win this year, and that's the most important thing you can do in the NFL. The pressure gets ratcheted up a notch in the postseason, though, forcing players to go the extra yard in their quest to help their team win. Over the past four weeks, though, no one on Pittsburgh has done that, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
It is worth noting that three of Pittsburgh's four losses during this stretch came against playoff teams, with the other one being the desperate Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. In these four games, the Steelers offense is averaging just 14.3 points per game, which is simply good enough. And that's their fatal flaw; this offense simply is not explosive enough to beat playoff-caliber opponents.
In his 11 games of action, Wilson was solid for the Steelers, throwing for 2.482 yards and 16 touchdowns. Considering how poorly he played over the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos, it was a big step forward for the veteran passer. The problem is that even his improved play isn't typically making a difference for Pittsburgh.
On the ground, the Steelers have a decent running back duo of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but neither guy is a gamebreaker. Harris looked improved this season, averaging four yards per carry while racking up over 1,300 yards of total offense, while Warren came on strong towards the end of the year after being slowed by injuries at the beginning of the campaign.
These guys both should be heavily involved in the offense moving forward, because the real problem is in the pass catcher department. There's really no consistent option for Wilson to throw to. George Pickens has the ability to be a star, but whether or not that version of him shows up is a question mark every week. Pat Freiermuth is a solid underneath target at tight end, and Calvin Austin III is a dangerous deep threat, but neither of them can be the top option in the air.
In order for the Steelers to have virtually any shot of beating the Ravens, they need the best version of Pickens to show up, which is a scary proposition. Without him, Pittsburgh is toast. Wilson has been stuck scrambling for his life waiting for guys to get open without Pickens on the field, while opposing defenses have made life tougher on Harris and Warren by stacking more guys in the box to clog their running lanes.
Getting Warren involved in the passing game could be an option, but he falls in a similar category as Freiermuth when it comes to his receiving skillset. If Pickens can't get going, Pittsburgh is going to be in trouble, and even if he does have a good game, it may not be enough for them. The Steelers have done a great job of making the most out of their 2024 campaign, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they reach the end of the road on Saturday night against Baltimore because of their offensive woes.
