With under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Kansas City Chiefs – facing a 10-6 deficit against the Steelers – snapped the ball from the Pittsburgh 28-yard-line. Then, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, dropped back and dumped the ball on his right to running back Jamaal Charles, who approximately advanced the ball three yards and fumbled due to a hit by Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt; subsequently, Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams recovered the football.
That play shifted the momentum in Pittsburgh’s favor – that play also catapulted the Steelers into the playoffs. Shortly thereafter, the Steelers offense marched down the field and scored a touchdown. Ultimately, the Steelers defeated the Chiefs 20-12, this past Sunday.
The Steelers forthcoming appearance in the NFL 2014 postseason is the team’s first taste of playoff competition since 2011. Undeniably, the 2014 Steelers have been an inconsistent bunch. This team lost to the 2-13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 3-12 New York Jets; however, the erratic group managed to handily defeat the AFC South titleholder Indianapolis Colts and playoff contender Baltimore Ravens.
But that is the past – the Steelers have been on a hot streak since they blighted the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14. The Steelers are the type of team that is capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh’s dynamic offense is one of the best in the NFL. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown, who have the nickname “Killer B’s,” were all voted to the Pro Bowl and have set records this season.
The Steelers defense has strengthened its rush defense over the last few weeks; it has not allowed a team to amass 100-plus yards of rushing in the last three games. Last week, the Steelers defense limited Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles to 29 rushing yards. Moreover, the defense yielded four takeaways in the last three games. Pittsburgh’s secondary is one of the worst in the NFL, but it is evident the Steelers are able to hinder opposing running games and force turnovers.
The Steelers stack up well against the rest of the AFC. The Steelers will potentially face the Colts, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs or San Diego Chargers in the opening round of the playoffs. Of those five teams, the Steelers have beaten four of them once this season — and if they were to play the Chargers, it would their first meeting of the season. The Steelers should not encounter great difficulty emerging from the first round.
Therefore, the battle to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl is truly between three teams – the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Steelers.
Against the Broncos, Pittsburgh would render the Broncos offense one-dimensional by taking away the run game, which would put the game on Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who has struggled this season and is well-known for playing poorly in playoff games. On offense, the Steelers would need to Roethlisberger to play nearly flawless. And if the Broncos and the Steelers were to partake in an offensive shootout, Pittsburgh’s offense is more than well-equipped to match Denver’s offense.
The Patriots are a bit of a different story. They have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL – Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis. The Steelers receivers would face their most difficult adversaries of the season. Bell would probably have to churn out a highly productive game, which wouldn’t be awfully hard. The Steelers defense certainly would not have an intimidating assignment; New England’s offense is overall average, but it does have one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Tom Brady.
If the Steelers were to make it to the Super Bowl, it’s plausible that they would wind up victorious. They can hang with the NFC’s best – the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
It’s not unlikely that the Steelers’ 2014 season will conclude at Super Bowl XLIX. The Steelers have a threatening offense and a competent defense, which is enough to earn the AFC Championship title – possibly even a Super Bowl title. The Steelers’ playoff possibilities are endless.
