Author: Joe Kuzma

The blitz is gone: Steelers’ defense has lost its edge

Going back to the 1970s Steelers Super Bowl dynasties, the team has been defined by their stifling defense for decades. From the “Steel Curtain” featuring Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, and Jack Ham, to “Blitzburgh” with Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, and Rod Woodson, to the Super Bowl XLIII team with James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, and Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh has always set the tone on the defensive side of the football.

To cut right to the chase, something has changed in the Steel City. The former Steel Curtain now looks like a “Steel Fence”, replete with holes galore. It was an embarrassment to hear commentators discuss the lack of enthusiasm from Pittsburgh’s defense when watching the Steelers Wild Card game against the Baltimore Ravens.

With one of the highest-paid units in the NFL, the Steelers have been turning out disappointing defensive efforts for the last few seasons. But where did it begin? And how can they fix it? Here are some of the ways the defense has dwindled with some strong opinions on what needs to happen next.

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Stars & Playmakers

I think a lot of readers would instantly point at some of the highly paid players on the Steelers defense and start calling for changes. However, I don’t feel that talent is the problem.

I’m going to go on a ledge here and discuss fantasy football for a short moment, as this article is heavily statistics-driven. On modern fantasy platforms like Underdog Fantasy, selecting defensive players who can have the same effect as the Steel Curtain and its glory days can be a strategic move since they can change the complexion of a game. The Steelers have those players right now and I’m of the opinion they are not in regression, rather, they are being underutilized.

Cameron Heyward is a great example. At 35-years-old he may have had one of his best seasons ever. Heyward followed up two double-digit sack seasons with an injury-riddled 2023 season. Most thought he was old and finished, but Heyward bounced back with eight sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss, 20 quarterback hits, and a career-high 11 passes defensed.

T.J. Watt, who is once again in talks for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, had a down season despite being active for all 17 games. His 11.5 sacks were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year. His six forced fumbles and 19 TFLs suggest he isn’t losing a step, but something is going on when he also regressed in QB hits.

Minkah Fitzpatrick is another playmaker who hasn’t been making plays over the last few years.

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Austin vs Butler

The performance of the star players above started to go south following the departure of Keith Butler after the 2021 season.

Watt won the DOPY award in 2021 with 22.5 sacks. Minkah Fitzpatrick had two All-Pro seasons in 2019 and 2020 (with another in 2022) but like Watt, has regressed over the last two seasons in how his role has been altered.

All of the fingers pointing at trading or moving on from these highly paid players should instead change their direction toward current defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who could become the latest scapegoat for their recent lack of stopping opponents.

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Sacks

Under Austin, the Steelers have had 40, 47, and 40 sacks in three seasons.

Compare that with Butler, who’s teams had at least 50 sacks over a five-year span from 2017 to 2021, including several times leading the league. The Steelers had one dip in 2016 where they had 38 sacks, otherwise 47 sacks were the fewest a Butler defense registered in a single season.

Now consider Butler’s teams played a 16-game schedule and the viewpoint becomes worse!

Pressure

In Austin’s three seasons as DC, the Steelers have struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Previous statistics (available from 2018 on) under Butler show the Steelers always got to the quarterback at least 26% of the time, with higher blitz rates providing more pressure as high as 35%.

Turnovers

Why did the Steelers defense look good earlier in the season? They were able to generate turnovers: so many, in fact, that they ended the year tied for the league-lead with the Minnesota Vikings (33).

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Points and Yards

Turnovers will be the calling card for Austin, however, as the points against and yards against the Steelers are trending highs for the frnachise over the last several years.

Keith Butler was shown the door after he stopped blitzing as much in 2021 – down to 27% from 40% the year prior – and his defense gave up 398 points and 6,139 yards.

Similar could be said of Dick LeBeau, who was ousted following a year where the D gave up 368 points and 5,654 yards, with only 33 sacks to show for. At least in Butler’s final season, the defense lead the league again with 55 sacks.

Butler also had three seasons out of seven where his defenses held opponents to under 5,000 yards combined.

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Show Austin the Door

Assuming that Teryl Austin signed an extension and is operating under the typical Steelers three-year contract cycle for coaches, his deal should be expiring when the 2025 league year begins in March. If it’s not, his performance should be enough to let him go as the numbers don’t match up to his predecessors.

Austin’s defenses, even with Heyward, Watt, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen and more could not get more than 40 sacks this season, and it’s the second such time they landed on 40 total in a 17-game season.

His 347 points against and 5,554 yards against are in the same territory that saw LeBeau and Butler let go. Austin’s three seasons as defensive coordinator rank among the worst in various categories over the last decade.

If the Steelers want to get serious about contending for a Lombardi Trophy again, they will have to do more than spend money on the defensive side of the ball. They already have many of the foundational pieces to turn this thing around quickly, they just need the right coaching philosophy in place to succeed.

(And I know what you’re also thinking: if this comes from Mike Tomlin, then he too is a guilty party that may need the same reconsideration as I’m throwing at Teryl Austin!)

The blitz is gone: Steelers’ defense has lost its edge appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Steelers’ long stretch of winning in the AFC North is taken for granted

The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the most storied franchises in the NFL, boasting six Super Bowl championships and a legacy of resiliency. Their success comes deeply intertwined with their rivalries within the AFC North, especially with the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns. However, fans may not be privy to how intense those rivalries are compared to other divisions around the league.

Not having a losing season since 2003 is nothing short of a miracle in the AFC North. The Steelers-Ravens rivalry is one of the most intense since both teams typically fight for divisional supremacy. The Steelers are 36-27 all-time against the Ravens, including the postseason. They are 71-40 all-time against the Cincinnati Bengals and 82-64-1 all-time against the Cleveland Browns.

These divisional games are huge in determining the outcome of the Steelers’ season, from playoff seeding to home-field advantage. Yet, unlike other divisions in the league, the Steelers don’t enjoy easy competition like some other teams.

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Baltimore Ravens

Steelers fans can sympathize with their most recent playoff loss at the hands of their division rival. In what was an embarrassing loss, it’s easy to see that the Ravens were a better product on the field this season – winning the AFC North and taking a Wild Card victory both to the detriment of the Steelers.

The Steelers-Ravens rivalry is widely recognized as one of the most vicious in football. A series of hard-hitting games always seem to determine the fate of the AFC North, usually with close scoring games. While this year’s series took a turn for the worst, with some of the more lopsided losses in their head-to-head history. 

Many Steelers fans are upset at the loss, along with Mike Tomlin’s six-game losing streak in the postseason. For fans keenly watching these giants fight it out, another layer could be added: using the DraftKings promo code to your advantage. This rivalry will continue to grow, and fans can participate in it differently.

Yet, one has to wonder what the Steelers may have been able to accomplish if the Ravens weren’t always standing in their way. Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson is a two-time league MVP since entering the NFL in 2018 and is arguably up for a third award this season too. Since 2018, the Ravens have won the AFC North four out of the last seven seasons. Since joining the same division as the Steelers, they’ve won the Super Bowl twice: with their last victory coming in 2012.

Having a Super Bowl contending competitor within the AFC North makes winning the division a dogfight year-in and year-out. However, Baltimore isn’t the only team to have major success recently coming out of the North.

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Cincinnati Bengals

Many fans wouldn’t consider the Bengals a major thorn in the Steelers side, however, Cincinnati’s mix of success over the years – combined with that of Baltimore’s – makes for two tough opponents that could vie for a playoff spot any season and bump the Steelers from contention.

The Bengals have had a mixed bag of success as of late, but have had at least nine wins in their last four seasons. The first of those four winning seasons came in Joe Burrow’s first full season played. Burrow led the team to Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals returned to the AFC Championship the following season and were primed to be the next big thing in the NFL before another injury to Burrow and some other changes slowed the team’s progress.

However, even before Burrow’s arrival, the Bengals weren’t always a pushover. Former head coach Marvin Lewis led the Bengals to the playoffs seven times, including five-straight appearances between 2011 and 2015. Cincinnati won the AFC North four times during Lewis’ tenure and have now won it twice under the six years Zac Taylor has been the head coach.

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Cleveland Browns

A longtime laughing stock in the NFL, the Browns cannot be counted for an automatic win anymore. Their fortunes began to change when Kevin Stefanski took over as head coach in 2020. Since, Stefanski has won two AP NFL Coach of the Year awards and has taken the Browns to the playoffs twice in five seasons. His 2020 team broke an 18-year playoff drought, showcasing how difficult it is to win within the Steelers same division.

Incidentally, the toughness of the AFC North is on display in the postseason as well, with Cleveland gaining their first playoff win since 1994 with a victory over the Steelers in 2020.

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Comparing to others

Some of the catcalling for Mike Tomlin’s job or the understanding as to why the Steelers don’t steamroll into the playoffs like some other teams can be illustrated by looking at other divisions around the league.

For example, the New England Patriots dynasty was largely propped up by playing in an abysmal AFC East which featured decades-long bad football from teams within that division. While the Patriots were winning double-digit games throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s, the Buffalo Bills went from 1999 to 2017 without a playoff appearance.

The Miami Dolphins had two winning seasons between 2004-2019 and the New York Jets had one small spell where they went to back-to-back AFC Championships, largely in the absence of Tom Brady with the Patriots. Otherwise, the Jets haven’t been back to the postseason since losing in the title game to the Steelers during the 2010 season and were marred with multiple third and fourth place division finishes between playoff appearances from 1999-2008.

The Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed a similar slate of weak opponents within their division during their seven-straight AFC Championship games. While the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos have gotten over the hump this year, they have traded being basement dwellers in the AFC West with the Las Vegas Raiders for years.

Since Andy Reid took over as head coach of the Chiefs in 2013, the Chargers have only made the postseason three times. The Broncos made two trips to the Super Bowl, in 2013 and 2015, but finally made the playoffs for the first time since Peyton Manning’s retirement following their 2015 Super Bowl win. The Raiders mediocrity rivals that of the Browns and Jets, making the playoffs twice since 2002: they have not won their division since then either.

Similar comparisons could be made with other divisions, particularly the NFC North which has featured historically bad Lions and Bears teams as well as the NFC South, which has featured a division winner with a losing record (and multiple seasons where three of the four teams failed to reach .500.)

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Final thoughts

When you look around the league it’s easy to see that the Steelers could easily be a much worse franchise than they are. They have not had the cake walk that the Patriots or Chiefs have had into postseason byes and often get into slugfests with the Ravens or Bengals for the top spot, which sees all of the involved fall into Wild Card territory and a tougher path to the postseason, and ultimately through it.

Seeing as the Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003, and having a winning season is paramount to getting into the playoffs (where any team can win it all, i.e. the 2005 Steelers) I believe most of Pittsburgh’s fans need to look through the lens of competitive football to realize this is a team that finds a way to always win despite the odds against them. Pittsburgh could easily be in the doldrums of the Raiders and Jets, yet they never are.

Imagine some role reversal: what if the Steelers didn’t make the playoffs for a decade or longer? Or, imagine if they swapped spots in the 2000’s with the Patriots in the AFC East. It’s easier to see a path to larger success, if that were the case. However, the AFC North makes it less likely that any of these teams will have an easy path to the Lombardi Trophy. Therefore, the Steelers need to gear up for 2025 with beating the Ravens, Bengals, and Browns on their short list, before eyeing a larger prize.

Steelers’ long stretch of winning in the AFC North is taken for granted appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Could Steelers playoff déjà vu force major changes?

Fundamentally, there are three ways you can lose an NFL Playoff game. First, you can be unlucky, losing despite being the better team. Or, you can fail to rise to the occasion, throwing the game through sloppy play and lack of cohesion. Finally, you can lose to a better team by just not being good enough to compete. When the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 season diagnostics report comes out, the debate over how the last two reasons fit the Steelers the most, and why they exited the playoffs early this year.

The Steelers were not a sharp, well-machinated operation in 2024, and coaching to play on the field was subject to criticism for inconsistency. They weren’t askew just during the Wild Card game loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but throughout the season, particularly during the run of defeats across a four-game span. It was apparent the Steelers were not good enough when it mattered.

Even in November and early December, when the team was sitting pretty at 8-2 and 10-3, respectively, a cursory glance at the Super Bowl odds at any point in the season would tell you that sportsbooks weren’t convinced. They were ranked as outsiders in the betting odds, and the sportsbooks seem to have been vindicated after the defeat to the Ravens. The 28-14 loss was semi-respectable on paper, but the truth is that the Steelers never looked truly competitive in a game that was more or less over by half-time.

A sense of déjà vu? The Steelers also went 21-0 down to the Bills in last season’s Wild Card round before mounting a bit of a comeback to make the final score respectable.

The similar results and recurring early exits from the playoffs is concerning for a franchise as storied as the Steelers – and it needs to end if Pittsburgh is to regain its prowess and pride within the National Football League.

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In the near future, the question will be whether this team needs to be tweaked or undergo wholesale changes. Plenty of fans will argue for the latter. We know, of course, that some changes will have to be enforced more rapidly than others.

The Steelers have both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson headed into free agency. Does the organization bring one of them back, both, or neither? Wilson had a decent stretch in the regular season, finding his feet in the fall and early winter. But, he also led an offense that failed to reach 20 points in a game since December 8.

Fields was a mixed bag, barely better statistically than Mitchell Trubisky, and similar to Kenny Pickett; facts that were very unpopular when we shared the side-by-side stats across social media channels. Emotionally, fans felt Fields gave them a boost with his legs and may have fared better when Wilson struggled. They’ll never know because Fields wasn’t given the reins.

Head coach Mike Tomlin has been enigmatic about the quarterback situation and what the team may be looking at moving forward. And some of that may be due to his own status.

While it’s difficult to speculate on Tomlin’s future with the team, despite the no-trade clause in his contract, there is discontent among the fanbase – with him and the team. The successes of the late 2000s and early to mid-2010s built up goodwill between the fans and Tomlin. That shine has faded with his team’s inability to make real headway into the postseason, though.

Although overall success as an NFL head coach could afford him the luxury of making his own decisions about his future, it is clear that something is not working when the Steelers are approaching almost a decade since they won a playoff game.

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The Steelers have arguably been the most consistent team in the NFL over Tomlin’s tenure. Fans, and owners, of most franchises would gladly accept reaching the playoffs two out of every three seasons, on average.

As a team’s fortunes wax and wane, it’s normal to have down seasons. Yet, the Steelers, under Tomlin, have never experienced a losing season. It’s an incredible consistency, a feat matched by only two other coaches in NFL history. Be careful what you wish for, as they say.

That consistency isn’t measured quite the same by the fanbase when it comes to regular versus postseason win-loss records, however.

Ultimately, ownership and the hierarchy of the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to ask themselves what they want the future of their team to look like. It won’t be a knee-jerk reaction due to the latest playoff loss, as much of the fanbase feels it should be, but will require answering the difficult questions as to just how many changes need to occur.

The similarities between this season and last (2023), when the Steelers also went 10-7 and lost to a superior rival (the Buffalo Bills), and, indeed, the 2021 season (9-7-1 and a Wild Card loss to the Chiefs), have too much symmetry to do nothing.

Whether those needed alterations include Tomlin or not is unclear. Art Rooney II has continually expressed a unified understanding between Tomlin and himself in regards to how the team will operate. That could signal that Tomlin won’t be moved from his position. It doesn’t mean that some aspects of his position won’t be affected. Could Tomlin’s run with the Steelers end? It’s unlikely, but not impossible.

Regardless, the playoffs issue has to be addressed by creating a successful team and staff. The quarterbacks situation isn’t the only key area where change is almost a certainty. Repeating early exits from the postseason, over and over, is a good way to define insanity in an NFL that waits for no one. Adapt or fall into obscurity.

Could Steelers playoff déjà vu force major changes? appeared first on Steel City Underground.

SCU Week in Review – January 18th

In case you missed it (or anything) the SCU Week in Review recaps all articles, videos, posts and more, shared via Steel City Underground’s various platforms throughout the week.

Ravens postgame and more

Joe and Brian lament the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024-25 NFL season, which ended in an embarrassing Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Have the hosts jumped to the same kneejerk reactions to firing coaches and trading players as others? Tune in to an extended show that discusses whether this is a foundation to build from or if the entire team should be burnt to the ground.

View the video below on YouTube or visit our podcast page to find it on all popular audio platforms.

Is it time for a change in the Steel City?

The only constant is change, unless you’re the Steelers

Mike Tomlin’s playoff struggles mirror that of other great coaches

Mike Tomlin’s playoff struggles mirror that of other great coaches

Plays of the Week

Watch: Jefferson puts Steelers on scoreboard in wild card game

Quick Hits

SCU Week in Review – January 18th appeared first on Steel City Underground.

NFL Playoffs Cheat Sheet: Divisional Playoffs

NFL Playoffs Cheat Sheet is a weekly series featuring a quick glance at upcoming games, including odds, records, things to watch for, and how to watch/listen to the games.

The NFL announced the schedule of sites, dates, and times for the Divisional Round of games. Here are those details.

If you want to explore a top-notch NFL Sportsbook, you should pay a visit to Optimobet. According to many bettor enthusiasts, Optimobet has every inevitable information and great deals.

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No. 4 Houston Texans (11-7) at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 4:30 PM ET | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Referee: Clay Martin | Line: Chiefs -8.5, O/U 41.5

TV: ESPN/ABC – Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters (field reporter), Laura Rutledge (field reporter)
National Radio: Westwood One – Kevin Harlan, Ross Tucker

Kansas City is 2-0 against Houston in the postseason, earning a 30-0 win in the 2015 Wild Card round and a 51-31 victory in the 2019 AFC Divisional playoffs, one of three Divisional playoff games all-time with 80-or-more combined points. The Chiefs defeated the Texans, 27-19, in Week 16 in Kansas City and were 8-0 at home during the regular season.

  • Houston defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 32-12, on Wild Card Weekend as quarterback C.J. Stroud became the sixth quarterback ever to win a playoff game in each of his first two career seasons. With a win, the Texans can advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.
  • Kansas City can become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls. The Chiefs have won seven consecutive postseason games and can join the New England Patriots (10 consecutive postseason wins from 2002-06) and Green Bay Packers (nine from 1961-68) as the only teams all-time to win eight consecutive playoff games.
  • The Chiefs have at least one postseason win in each of the past six seasons with head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The only team, head coach and quarterback to register at least one postseason victory in seven consecutive seasons were the 2011-18 New England Patriots (eight consecutive seasons), with head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
  • Reid has 26 postseason wins, the second-most in NFL history, and is one of five coaches all-time with three Super Bowl victories. Saturday will mark Reid’s 43rd career postseason game, trailing only Bill Belichick (44 games) for the most by a head coach all-time.
  • Mahomes has 15 career postseason wins, trailing only Tom Brady (35 postseason wins) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (16) for the most postseason wins by a quarterback all-time. With a win, he can become the seventh quarterback all-time to register at least one win in seven different postseasons, joining Brady (16 seasons), Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre (nine), Dan Marino (seven) and Joe Montana (seven) as well as Drew Brees (seven) and Aaron Rodgers (seven).
  • Mahomes enters the 2024 postseason with the second-highest qualified playoff passer rating all-time (105.8) and completion percentage (67.9) and ranks fifth in postseason touchdown passes (41) and eighth in postseason passing yards (5,135).
  • Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has the most receptions (165) and second-most receiving yards (1,903) and touchdown receptions (19) among all players in postseason history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (2,245 receiving yards, 22 touchdown receptions). Kelce has eight career postseason games with at least 100 receiving yards, tied with Rice for the most such playoff games all-time.

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No. 6 Washington Commanders (13-5) at No. 1 Detroit Lions (15-2)

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 8:00 PM ET | Ford Field | Referee: Ron Torbert | Line: Lions -9.5, O/U 55.5

TV: FOX – Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews (field reporter), Tom Rinaldi (field reporter)
National Radio: Westwood One – Kevin Kugler, Mike Mayock

The Commanders, with their win on Wild Card Weekend at Tampa Bay, earned their first postseason victory since 2005 and look to advance to their first Championship game since 1991. Washington and Detroit will meet in the postseason for the fourth time ever (1982 Wild Card, 1991 Conference Championship and 1999 Wild Card), with the Commanders winning each matchup, all in Washington.

  • Detroit earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in team history with a franchise-record 15 wins during the regular season and looks to win a postseason game in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history (1952-53). The Lions led the NFL in scoring offense (33.2 points per game) and ranked second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) during the regular season.
  • Last year, during the 2023 postseason, the Lions won multiple playoff games for the first time since 1957 and advanced to their first NFC Championship game since 1991. In three postseason starts last year, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff passed for 837 yards (279 per game) and four touchdowns with no interceptions and a 103.3 passer rating.
  • Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had 304 yards (268 passing, 36 rushing), two touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 110.2 passer rating in the Wild Card round and became the fourth rookie quarterback all-time to win his first career playoff start on the road.

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No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (11-7) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (15-3)

Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 3:00 PM ET | Lincoln Financial Field | Referee: Shawn Smith | Line: Eagles -6.5, O/U 43.5

TV: NBC/Peacock – Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark
National Radio: Westwood One – Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

The Los Angeles Rams tied a playoff record with nine sacks in their Wild Card victory over Minnesota while Philadelphia defeated Green Bay for its first Wild Card win since 2018. Philadelphia is set to host a Wild Card game and Divisional playoffs game in the same season for the first time in franchise history. With a win, the Eagles would advance to the NFC Championship for the second time in three seasons, while the Rams can reach the Championship round for the third time in eight seasons under head coach Sean McVay.

  • The Eagles and Rams will meet in the postseason for the fourth time and first since the 2001 NFC Championship, a 29-24 St. Louis Rams victory that featured two second-half rushing touchdowns by Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. The teams also met in the 1989 NFC Wild Card (Rams 21, Eagles 7) and 1949 NFL Championship (Eagles 14, Rams 0).
  • Philadelphia defeated Los Angeles, 37-20, in Week 12 as running back Saquon Barkley recorded a career-high 302 scrimmage yards (including a career-high and franchise-record 255 rushing yards) and became the sixth player in NFL history to record multiple rushing touchdowns of 70-or-more yards in a game, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Lenny Moore (1956) and Barry Sanders (1997) as well as John Fuqua (1970), Frank Gore (2009) and Maurice Jones-Drew (2009).
  • Barkley rushed for 119 yards on Wild Card Weekend and including the postseason, has 2,124 rushing yards this season, the fifth-most rushing yards by a player in a season (including the playoffs) in NFL history.
  • Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford passed for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s Wild Card win and has six consecutive playoff games with at least 200 passing yards and two touchdown passes, tied for the fourth-longest such streak in postseason history.
  • Rams rookie linebacker Jared Verse had a 57-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown on Wild Card Weekend, the longest fumble-return touchdown by a rookie in postseason history and the first rookie with a defensive touchdown in a playoff game since 2011 (J.J. Watt).

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No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (14-4)

Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 6:30 PM ET | Highmark Stadium | Referee: Carl Cheffers | Line: Bills +1.5, O/U 51.5

TV: CBS/Paramount+ – Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter), Jay Feely (field reporter)
National Radio: Westwood One – Ryan Radtke, Mike Golic

Buffalo defeated Baltimore, 17-3, in the 2020 Divisional playoffs, the only previous postseason meeting between the two clubs. In Week 4, the Ravens defeated the Bills, 35-10, in Baltimore.

  • During the regular season, Buffalo led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL with 30.9 points per game, while Baltimore ranked third with 30.5. Sunday’s matchup will mark the fifth postseason game since 1950 between teams that averaged 30-or-more points per game in the regular season: 2020 NFC Championship [Green Bay (31.8 points per game) vs. Tampa Bay (30.8)], 2020 NFC Divisional [(Tampa Bay (30.8) vs. New Orleans (30.1)], 2018 NFC Championship [Los Angeles Rams (32.9) vs. New Orleans (31.5)] and 2015 NFC Championship [Carolina (31.3) vs. Arizona (30.6)].
  • During the regular season, the Bills and Ravens tied atop the AFC and ranked third in the NFL with a +157-point differential. Their Divisional playoff meeting will mark the fourth playoff game in the past 10 seasons (2015-24) between teams that each had a point differential of 150-or-higher during the regular season: 2021 AFC Wild Card [Buffalo (+194) vs. New England (+159)], Super Bowl LII (Feb. 4, 2018 – New England (+162) vs. Philadelphia (+162)] and the 2015 NFC Championship [Carolina (+192) vs. Arizona (+176)].
  • Buffalo defeated Denver, 31-7, on Wild Card Weekend and have scored at least 30 points in eight of its nine home games this season, tied with eight other teams for the most home games with at least 30 points, including the postseason, in a season all-time.
  • For the seventh time since 2000, the Associated Press first-team All-Pro quarterback (Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson) and second-team All-Pro quarterback (Buffalo’s Josh Allen) will meet in a postseason game. Allen (609 rushing yards) and Jackson (602) have the most rushing yards by a quarterback in postseason history all-time.
  • On Wild Card Weekend, Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL postseason history with at least 175 passing yards (175), 75 rushing yards (81), two touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 75-or-higher (76.2 percent, 16 of 21) in a game. Jackson – who had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and a 135.4 passer rating in Week 4 against Buffalo – has nine games with a passer rating of 125-or-higher this season and can join Matt Ryan (10 games in 2016) as the only players with 10 such games in a season, including the playoffs, all-time.
  • Baltimore running back Derrick Henry – who rushed for a season-high 199 yards and one touchdown in Week 4 against Buffalo – rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens’ Wild Card win over Pittsburgh, his fourth career playoff game with at least 150 rushing yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (four games) for the most such games in postseason history. Henry has 13 career games, including the playoffs, with at least 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (13 games) for the most such games, including the postseason, all-time.

 

 

The Conference Championships schedule will be announced next weekend.

Statistics and game information courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers and/or National Football League.

NFL Playoffs Cheat Sheet: Divisional Playoffs appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Proposed Colin Cowherd Steelers trade could be the worst in NFL history

Fox Sports Radio personality Colin Cowherd has always had a love/hate relationship in his takes about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Honestly, I feel that’s more of a hate/hate relationship, as everything the host says is usually part of the “hot take” culture: I can never follow if he says these things for attention or if he truly believes in his ideas. Regardless, Cowherd has struck again with another wild idea following the Steelers’ early postseason exit:

“I would trade T.J. Watt, George Pickens, two first rounders and go get Shedeur Sanders if you think he’s a starting QB.”

The buzz did as intended, traveling rapidly around the internet and finding its way into this column. If that was the intention, then job well done and that’s all we need to discuss. However, if Cowherd believes his trade proposal would improve the Steelers, I may suggest the radio host stick to disclaimers about reality on his show and not quit his day job.

First Round Picks

Cowherd’s proposed trade could potentially be one of the worst in NFL history if it were to transpire. It could eclipse the Cleveland Browns trade to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, which looks more and more to top the previous league-worst swap between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings for Herschel Walker.

At the time, the Walker trade was the largest player trade in NFL history. Walker was sent to the Vikings with a third team, the San Diego Chargers, involved in an 18-player swap along with additional draft picks. The Cowboys received multiple players and draft selections, including three first round picks from the Vikings, in the transaction.

The Watson trade, which saw the Texans ship their former franchise quarterback to Cleveland in exchange for draft picks, including three of the Browns first round selections, is closing in on the Walker deal, as both Watson and Walker failed to live up to expectations with their new teams while their old franchises flourished after.

In both cases the Cowboys and Texans came out on the winning side of those trades, using the acquired picks to maneuver the draft board and rebuild their teams. The Cowboys would go on to win multiple Super Bowls in the 1990’s following the Walker trade, while the Texans have won back-to-back division titles and postseason games in the wake of the Watson deal.

The Steelers would be foolish to spend their picks in this manner as it would handicap their ability to pool top young talent from the NFL Draft – how the franchise typically builds. (More on this below as we discuss Sanders too.)

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Trading Established Players

George Pickens has a bad game and Steelers Nation loses their mind. In their minds, it’s time to trade him. But for what?

Does Pickens have some flare ups? Yes. I wouldn’t go so far as to defend his maturity as being full, but to discount the passion he brings to the field is also foolish. We already saw what the Steelers offense looked like without Pickens in the lineup at the end of the season and it wasn’t pretty. This is a team that has desperately needed a second receiving threat since Antonio Brown left in 2019 and continues to claw to find one.

In short, the Steelers need a WR2 but yinz want to get rid of WR1? Make it make sense.

On the other end, T.J. Watt is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The Steelers definitely struggle without him on the field. It took the teams several years to find an edge rushing threat to replace James Harrison, and now the solution to the team’s middling winning seasons and playoff appearances with quick exits is to get rid of an elite player with a future Hall of Fame resume?

The Steelers are 1-10 all-time without Watt in the lineup. Again, make that trade make sense, because it doesn’t.

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Trade Partner

The entire reason Cowherd is floating the idea of trading multiple first round picks and top players is because of where the Steelers would need to be in order to land one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.

Some believe that the Tennessee Titans could move out of the top slot, since they recently drafted Will Levis two seasons ago to develop as their quarterback of the future. The problem there is, Levis was benched multiple times this season and doesn’t appear to be on a path to stardom. The Titans could very well take a QB with the first overall pick, which means finding another partner to trade with.

The Cleveland Browns have the second pick. They’re not going to trade with a division rival when they have their own quarterback problems. The New York Giants, who have pick three, said goodbye to Daniel Jones and have no contingency plan in place either.

The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with picks four and five. Both teams have invested in quarterbacks and will likely draft elsewhere, but would unsettled situations with the Las Vegas Raiders (pick six) and New York Jets (pick seven) cause those teams to jump up the draft board to land a passer?

If they do, those teams have infinitely better ammo to make a move as their picks in subsequent rounds are also higher up the board. That makes finding a trade partner highly unlikely for Pittsburgh, who holds pick 21, to snag one of the top quarterbacks in the draft – if there’s enough of them this time around to be considered for those high picks too.

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Is There a Player Worth It?

Cowherd floated the idea of swinging big for the fences with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, a second generation athlete and the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.

Sanders is a two-year starter at Colorado with 24 games under his belt: that doesn’t scream enough experience to use a first round pick on, but someone may fall in love with his big and accurate arm, as we saw teams fall of one another to take six different QBs in the top twelve picks last year.

Sanders threw for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 907 attempts during his collegiate career. He’s the shiny name everyone discusses, since he’s linked to his father, who also happens to be the coach at Colorado.

To quell some of that excitement, however, one only has to look at the recent track record of college quarterbacks entering the NFL. While Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix were successful as rookies in 2024, the jury is still out on the remaining quarterbacks drafted and there’s the possibility that Daniels and Nix could also regress next season. (Much like C.J. Stroud did in his second campaign.)

There’s also the roulette wheel of drafting a bust. It cost nothing but a first round pick for the Steelers to take Kenny Pickett in 2022, but he’s already out the door after a lackluster set of starts. Other first rounders who fell from grace recently include Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins, and Drew Lock. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold bounced around the league multiple times and are still considered to be inconsistent in many circles. Then there’s countless other examples such as Mitchell Trubisky, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariot, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, E.J. Manuel and more.

Regardless if you believe Sanders is a surefire pick or not, the success rate of rookies developing into franchise quarterbacks is a coinflip at best.

Now take away that quarterback’s best receiving threat, the defense’s top player that they can’t win without and two future top 32 players from the NFL Draft to surround your QB with, and that sounds more like a recipe for disaster than success – and it’ll be even worse, maybe the worst ever, if that quarterback is also a bust.

Proposed Colin Cowherd Steelers trade could be the worst in NFL history appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Mike Tomlin’s playoff struggles mirror that of other great coaches

Since becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach in 2007, Mike Tomlin has undoubtedly been an integral part of the team’s success. His leadership has helped shape the team’s performance and created a legacy in the NFL.

Tomlin, known for his composed demeanor, has led the Steelers to the postseason 12 out of his 18 years as their head coach. He is famously known for never having a losing season in the league, but since his early success as the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl back in the 2008 season, the Steelers have seen their share of struggles.

Now, Tomlin is more famously associated with winning, but only enough to maintain a .500 or better record. His playoff slump, which goes back to 2017, is a key talking point anytime Tomlin’s name is mentioned.

However, Tomlin is far from the only NFL coaching great to have had major success yet struggled to win over multiple season spans in the playoffs. Here’s a sample of those great coaches and how their career paths skewed with regular season versus postseason success.

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Chuck Noll

Many Steelers fans forget that one of the most legendary coaches of all time had a rocky beginning to his head coaching tenure in Pittsburgh.

Hall of Famer Chuck Noll started with no playoff appearances in his first three seasons with the Steelers, going 1-13, 5-9, and 6-8 before making his first postseason in 1972. The 11-3 year marked his first playoff win – his only playoff win – in his first five seasons as the head of the team.

Patience with Noll finally paid off in 1974 – his sixth year with the team – when they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 1974 season and capped off one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties.

Following the 1979 Super Bowl championship season, Noll would struggle again, waiting five more seasons to win a playoff game in 1984 and it would be his next-to-last victory, guiding the Steelers to an AFC Championship loss to the Miami Dolphins. Noll’s Steelers would struggle throughout the remainder of the 1980’s, with one postseason win between 1985 and his retirement following the 1991 season.

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Bill Cowher

Bill Cowher continued the legacy of Steelers Hall of Fame coaches, but one must wonder what would’ve happened if Ben Roethlisberger hadn’t mad a shoestring tackle to save a touchdown, following a Jerome Bettis fumble against the Colts, in the 2005 playoffs.

It took Cowher 14 seasons to finally get over the hump, limping into the playoffs as the sixth seed and becoming the first team to win it all from the lowest spot in the playoffs. However, you could only imagine the public opinion if social media had been as prominent during his 15 seasons with the Steelers: most likely not as favorable, just like Tomlin!

Cowher’s postseason record would’ve mirrored Tomlin’s: minus the four wins to a Super Bowl XL victory, Cowher’s legacy would’ve been that of a really good coach with an 8-9 playoff record and four AFC title game losses. Instead, his legendary 2005 run led to a Lombardi trophy, a 12-9 playoff record and his bust in Canton.

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Tony Dungy

Branching off from Chuck Noll, Dungy would create his own Hall of Fame legacy as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts.

Dungy led the Bucs to the playoffs four times in his six years with the team, winning one playoff game in his first three seasons and then following up with only one win in his next three before joining the Colts. Along with QB Peyton Manning, the duo would be labeled as “choke artists” in the postseason, struggling with “one and done” appearances in the playoffs. Between the Bucs and Colts, Dungy would manage only a single playoff victory before getting to the AFC Championship in 2003.

Following that success, Dungy would win one more playoff game before a feast or famine period of four seasons that saw him win the Super Bowl in 2006, but lose their first playoff game in 2005, 2007, and 2008, before he retired with a 9-10 playoff record.

As many are likely aware, Mike Tomlin branched from Dungy’s coaching tree, as an assistant defensive coach. Like Dungy, Tomlin’s teams have been consistent – so consistent that those who enjoy betting on the NFL often choose the Steelers. Whoever you like to place bets on, it’s always a good idea to read a guide to betting on the NFL, as nothing is guaranteed in this game.

Yet, one thing is certain: if Dungy was enshrined in the Hall of Fame despite a losing playoff record and one Super Bowl ring, you can rest assured Tomlin will one day join him there too.

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Don Shula

One of Chuck Noll’s foils in the 70’s, this Hall of Fame coach successfully guided his team – the ’72 Dolphins – to the only perfect season in NFL history. Miami would win back-to-back Super Bowls, but Shula’s early success was that of a head coach with no losing seasons but a failure to win the postseason too.

Shula would go five winless postseasons as the head of the Baltimore Colts before leading them to the 1968 NFL Championship. Shula would go 8-5 and miss the playoffs in his final season with the Colts before joining the Dolphins. Shula led the Dolphins to three straight Super Bowls and five straight playoff appearances before falling into an eight year slump following the 1973 championship season and his next playoff victory.

Shula would finally win in the playoffs and return to the Super Bowl during the 1982 season, with a repeat performance besting Noll’s 1984 team for another appearance in the big game. Shula would fail to win the Lombardi trophy in either of those seasons, and would go on another winless playoff streak for four seasons between 1986 and 1989. He would finish his 33-year head coaching career with a playoff record of 19-17.

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Marty Schottenheimer

When one thinks of great coaches with bad playoff records, Schottenheimer’s name usually jumps to the top of the list. His coaching tree is that of legend, producing a list of names such as Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Herman Edwards, Mike McCarthy, Bruce Arians, and many others. For guiding so many of his assistants to coaching success, Schottenheimer lacked that in the postseason himself.

Schottenheimer’s 21-year head coaching career produced a 327-200 record (.613, 8th all time) and  playoff appearances for three of the four teams he coached. (He was only with Washington one season.) Yet, his 18 playoff games coached yielded a 5-13 record.

After leading the Chiefs to the AFC Championship in 1993, Schottenheimer would fail to win another postseason game in his next 11 seasons as a head coach.

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Andy Reid

It’s hard to believe now, but Reid was largely criticized for going “one and done” during the middle portion of his career.

Reid would go nine seasons with one playoff win between stints with the Eagles and Chiefs. And before starting Patrick Mahomes, Reid’s playoff record was 12-14!

Obviously Reid proved his doubters wrong, recently going 14-2 in the playoffs since 2019, with three Lombardi trophies cementing his future status as a Hall of Famer.

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Tom Landry

Another Hall of Fame coach and one of the greatest to ever do it also had a rough start to his coaching career. Hired at 36-years-old, Landry would lead the Dallas Cowboys for 29 consecutive years between 1960 and 1988. Landry would start his career with a 25-53 during his first six seasons before first making the postseason in 1966. He failed to win that game and would only win a single playoff game between 1966 and 1969.

Dallas’ patience would finally payoff when Landry led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl in 1970. They would fall short that season but rebound to winning it in a repeat appearance in ’71.

Landry’s Cowboys would be a Super Bowl rival of Chuck Noll’s 70’s Steelers dynasty, facing them twice in the decade, with both games won by Pittsburgh. However, Landry would avoid the Steelers in 1977, hoisting the Lombardi trophy yet again.

Landry would have mixed success from there, slowly fading into obscurity in the 1980’s before retiring following the 1988 season with a career postseason record of 20-16.

Mike Tomlin’s playoff struggles mirror that of other great coaches appeared first on Steel City Underground.

Until March 10th, anything you read about signings or trades is probably fake!

The corpse of the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Steelers season is barely cold and already we’re seeing many “stories” circulating the Internet. By now I’m sure you’ve seen that the Steelers are the “odds-on” favorite to land New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers or why the Atlanta Falcons should lift Kirk Cousins’ no-trade clause to send him to the Steel City.

It’s important to know that most of these stories are speculation at best this time of year, especially when the current NFL season isn’t over for many other teams. Players, such as Rodgers or Cousins, wouldn’t have their contracts expire until the new league year – and the free agency signing period – begins in March.

That’s if those players are available – Rodgers and Cousins are still under contract with their current teams. They would have to be released before free agency begins to be free to sign with any team of their choosing: much like what happened with Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos last offseason.

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Speaking of Wilson – and Justin Fields or Kyle Allen – those players are also currently under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers until the 2025 League Year begins on March 12, 2025. While they are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents and sign with any team.

They can re-sign with the Steelers at any point, before or after March 12th, but it’s unlikely we’ll hear anything on new deals for any of the above until we get closer to that date. (This differs from futures deals that were signed this week, from eligible players who were recently released from other practice squads and were not under any obligation to another team.)

First, the organization will iron out its plans for 2025, starting with its coaching staff and other front office personnel before that finalized group meets to formulate a potential roster for next season. Player agents may also hold out until they can officially talk with other teams during the legal tampering period, which begins March 10th. This allows the agent to do their diligence in finding the best offer for their client.

Even extensions of current contracts are seldom done during this period, at least traditionally with the Steelers. Pittsburgh has made a habit of waiting until training camp begins in July before working on these deals. They also do not discuss contracts once the regular season begins.

This isn’t a league rule: it’s how the Steelers have operated for an eternity, going back to Dan Rooney, who didn’t want distractions in-season. It’s how Art Rooney II continues to operate, as we saw with the extensions of Cameron Heyward and Pat Freiermuth this offseason. Those deals didn’t transpire until September, so don’t expect any news on players entering the final year of their current contracts, such as T.J. Watt or George Pickens, until then.

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You may ask yourself, “Why is there so much news about signing ‘Player A’ then?” Well, there are several reasons. One is many “news” sites are often staffed with bloggers who must meet deadlines and quotas to be paid. Oftentimes they’ll dig up unconfirmed stories to satisfy these requirements.

If the source of the story seems suspicious, it likely is: “Trust me bro” isn’t a source.

Sometimes the discussions are to fill air time. Everyone from the NFL Network to our Steel City Underground Steelers Podcast is likely to discuss what might happen in the near future. After all, there isn’t much else to talk about when the team is done playing games until August.

Another reason you may see misinformation spread is for intentional gain and nefarious reasons. Some people like to be hot-take artists while others are farming clicks for advertising revenue and engagement to build their social media profiles – often to sell those profiles after gaining a lot of visibility, regardless of how reputable it is.

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One way you can protect yourself from falling for these traps is to understand the league process and follow some official sites. I know you’re here at Steel City Underground thinking, “You’re not official” and that’s actually untrue! While we are an independent outlet, Steel City Underground, is also recognized as a media outlet by the NFL and Pittsburgh Steelers. As such, we strive to maintain the highest level of professionalism and integrity while providing quality opinions with the least amount of negativity possible.

Simply put, we don’t like to get caught up in the now-typical tabloid style of noise and nonsense! You also won’t see us attempting to break news or intentionally mislead our audience. (Being first to a story, especially as a kneejerk reaction, is a surefire way to be wrong most of the time!) This isn’t something we do as a hobby, for attention, or to make money by duping our followers.

If we do release a story, we’ll often cite official sources such as the NFL or the Pittsburgh Steelers. Speculative stories are often shared by NFL Insiders too and while they can be wrong, more weight should be given to reporters such as Ian Rapoport or Adam Schefter, as they are within those league circles and won’t sacrifice their reputation without corroborating their sources.

Steelers beat reporters are also worth checking in on. Local media that works in print and television such as Gerry Dulac, Mark Kaboly, Joe Rutter, Mike Prisuta, and a few others carry the same level of integrity as we aspire to, albeit with more direct access. DK Pittsburgh Sports also does an outstanding job as an online news platform, but beware of Bleacher Reports or even USA Today and Sports Illustrated branded sites, as those too can fall into the blog/quota category of speculative drivel.

We here at Steel City Underground appreciate your support and would never want to violate your trust. Thank you for joining us and again, be careful – it’s a rumor jungle out there!

Until March 10th, anything you read about signings or trades is probably fake! appeared first on Steel City Underground.