No, I’m not talking about Sunday at Dallas. That game can’t be lost. Click HERE to read why the Steelers beating the Cowboys is a 100 percent lock.
The Steelers are a great bet to win the AFC North, and perhaps 50-50 to get the lone bye in the AFC. (That’s if there's a bye: If the NFL has to cancel games due to covid, there’s talk of eight teams making the playoffs in each conference.)
But if the Steelers do get the bye, there’s a good chance the Steelers play Baltimore in their first playoff game
The Ravens should be the top-seeded wild card. They would probably play the AFC East winner or AFC South winner in the wild-card round, and probably win.
If the other seeds hold, that puts Baltimore at Pittsburgh in the divisional round.
The Steelers could lose that game.They could have easily lost at Baltimore this past Sunday.
Going 0-1 in the playoffs would make for a disappointing finish after a 14-2 regular season (or 15-1, 13-3, whatever) and would put Coach Mike Tomlin under heavy fire.
That criticism would not be totally without reason.
Tomlin is doing a great job this season, but needs to win a playoff game. He’s won three postseason contests in the past nine years. That’s with plenty of talent to work with, not least a Hall-of-Fame quarterback.
If Tomlin isn’t getting enough credit for the Steelers’ 7-0 start, perhaps that’s because Pittsburgh isn’t a town to stage a parade in the middle of the regular season.
Tomlin needs to win more playoff games. That's undeniable.
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