From the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a spot in the AFC playoffs, sights were set on winning the AFC North. But now, with two games left to play, a banged up Steelers team might want to look at the big picture and a more important goal.
This week the Steelers are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day on a short week and have a long list of injured players. First instinct is for the Steelers to get as many of the injured players back on the field to try and beat the top team in the AFC.
But is that really what’s important?
Even at full strength, it’s a longshot for the Steelers to get past the Chiefs who seem to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat every week. This, coupled with a huge Week 18 game against division rival the Cincinnati Bengals might prompt the team to hold back this week and make sure everyone is ready for that final game and more importantly the playoffs.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016 and this team at full health is more than capable of breaking that streak. It’s unlikely the Ravens will lose to the Browns in Week 18 so the Bengals game is a must-win if the AFC North is the goal. But bigger than that, finally getting that elusive playoff win must trump everything else.
