Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t really languished at the bottom for the past few years, they aren’t exactly Super Bowl contenders in the NFL. According to an ESPN analysis, though, there’s a hard reality waiting for the Russell Wilson-led team for the 2024-25 season.
Under general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin, the team aimed to build on their 2022 campaign last season and return to the playoffs after missing out the previous year.
On the field, the Steelers got off to a solid 3-2 start to their 2023-24 campaign, highlighted by a Week 5 victory over the Baltimore Ravens that gave the franchise its 700th all-time win. They went on to post a 10-7 regular season record, earning a wild card playoff berth.
In the postseason, the Steelers traveled to face the Buffalo Bills but were eliminated after a 31-17 defeat. Despite the disappointing end to the year, there were several bright spots, including Pro Bowl selections for defensive stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt.
ESPN Analyst Drops Harsh Reality on Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 Playoff Plans
While Pittsburgh has plans of competing in the upcoming season, there may be some challenges along the way. According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, the path towards a Super Bowl championship may be harder for the Steelers.
“And so, regrettably, I must report that the Steelers should not be able to keep this up. They went 10-7 while being outscored by 20 points last season. They were 9-2 in one-score games. They were the league’s ninth-oldest team, combining one of the youngest offenses with the oldest defense.
They’re also about to take Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to a showdown of Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks in their prime in the AFC. There’s no reason anybody should think this would work if it weren’t for the fact that, well, it’s the Steelers and Tomlin, and they seem to defy the odds every year. I’ll cover this more in my column on teams likely to decline, but that isn’t really the case. From 2007 to 2019, Tomlin went 61-50-1 (.549) in games decided by seven points or fewer.
Over the past four seasons, with limited or replacement-level quarterback play, he’s a combined 29-10-1 (.738) in those same contests. Can he keep doing this? Maybe. In a brutally difficult division, on the tougher side of the bracket, and with castoffs at quarterback? If anyone can, it’s Tomlin,” Barnwell wrote.
In a separate article by ESPN, the Steelers are projected to start strong next season their first four games. With a new offensive coordinator, quarterback, and offensive line, this team may be well-positioned to maintain their early momentum.
It remains to be seen how next season will play out for Wilson and company. In any case, the odds may be against them when it comes to age and the overall talent of the teams they’ll be facing on the field.
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