This late in the season, with a minimal chance to make the playoffs, it’s very easy for a team to throw their hands in the air. Mike Tomlin’s teams are known for making strong late-season pushes, but this squad appeared to have given up weeks ago. The brutal loss to the Indianapolis Colts only confirmed it.
What’s there left to be done?
When asked if he’d change how they prepare and who would play, Tomlin responded, “Everything is on the table at this juncture. We can’t play football like that.”
Tomlin declined to name a starting quarterback for Week 16, but Kenny Pickett is pushing to play when the Steelers host the 8-6 Bengals on Saturday. Mitch Trubisky has played worse than Pickett. Mason Rudolph went 2-of-3 for three yards. No quarterback on the roster can do anything with what’s left of Matt Canada’s amateur offense.
The damage is done.
Even if they do pull out one or two miracle wins in their final three games (vs. Bengals, at Seattle, at Baltimore), they’ve never once played like a team with heart through 60 minutes of play. They simply don’t deserve a spot in the postseason, and if they manage to get there, it’s too late to overhaul and magically turn into the kind of team that wins when it matters.
