Just as everyone expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers were easily eliminated from the NFL Playoffs at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.
The 28-14 box score may not reflect how much of a blowout this game really was—the Steelers never had a chance. And that’s what the public believed would happen, with nearly 90 percent of the bets on DraftKings backing the Ravens.
Defensively, no one in the entire state of Maryland had an answer for Derrick Henry, who rushed for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns. Offensively, Russell Wilson looked like a shell of the quarterback Sean Payton brought out of the Denver Broncos. It is completely broken.
Let’s not get twisted. The Ravens are a very good team and won this game in convincing fashion without wide receiver Zay Flowers, arguably Lamar Jackson’s top target. The Ravens have all the tools needed to make a deep playoff run; there is no denying that.
But this Steelers organization is in shambles right now. Too proud to embrace the rebuild, they’ve been navigating the quarterback desert ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Steelers fans tried to root for Kenny Pickett and had a blast when a combination of misfits, including Justin Fields and Wilson, started to heat up.
It was clear even from the start that the Steelers were outmatched. Again, almost everyone expected this horrible performance from them in Baltimore heading into Wild Card weekend.
The Steelers finished their season on a five-game losing streak. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and the pressure on head coach Mike Tomlin is starting to mount despite his legendary status.
Like any fanbase after an embarrassing playoff exit, some Steelers fans are already calling for Tomlin’s job. While that may be premature, Pittsburgh has more questions than answers heading into an important offseason.
Throughout Saturday night’s action, defensive stars Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt were shown on the sidelines battling injuries.
Heyward, a Pittsburgh native, is 35 years old. The future Hall of Famer’s best days are behind him. Watt turned 30 this season and finished the season playing his last 193 snaps without recording a single count. That’s not exactly a Defensive Player of the Year fit for a key defensive star who might be young.
Offensively, both Wilson and Fields are free agents. The Steelers will find themselves in the middle of the quarterback conversation, likely in free agency, as both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be selected before the Steelers are on the clock in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Other free agents include running back Najee Harris, offensive tackle Dan Moore, and wide receivers Mike Williams and Van Jefferson.
The Steelers have some tough questions to answer, but we all already know that.