Steelers' season painfully ends but leaves promising lessons
Once Derek Watt crossed the plane to make it a 28-14 game (counting the two-point conversion), Pittsburgh Steelers fans turned their attention from one screen to another. Suddenly, the much-anticipated game against the Cleveland Browns was in the bag. At that very moment, the New York Jets (who the Steelers needed to win to advance) […]
Once Derek Watt crossed the plane to make it a 28-14 game (counting the two-point conversion), Pittsburgh Steelers fans turned their attention from one screen to another. Suddenly, the much-anticipated game against the Cleveland Browns was in the bag.
At that very moment, the New York Jets (who the Steelers needed to win to advance) were tied with the Miami Dolphins 6-6 in a backup-quarterbacked game. A Dolphins' loss or tie would've meant a playoff trip for the Steelers but Mike McDaniel's team delivered at the last moment with an eight-play drive to set up a 50-yard field goal.
Moments later, kicker Jason Sanders broke the hearts of millions of Steelers fans as they tuned in to watch a successful field goal that would result in the game-winning score.
A painful end to a season that ends with a remarkable 7-2 run by the Steelers. The same team that was scratched from playoff contention in the minds of many – even diehard Pittsburgh fans – clawed its way back into the hunt just before being kicked into elimination once and for all.
The Steelers, even with a winning record, are going home. But man, oh man, we can't overlook one reality.
What a year for the scrappy Steelers
Think about it. Franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger retired last year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. It was supposed to be Mike Tomlin's first losing season as head coach of the Steelers.
In the best-case scenario, the team would figure out if it still needed a quarterback or if they had found their guy in Kenny Pickett. Well, even without a playoff bid, here's what they found out:
- Mike Tomlin is the right man for the job even after all these years. There's no doubt about that after a nine-win season.
- Although we're not quite sure just how good quarterback Kenny Pickett is, we know he certainly is a guy worth betting on. The Steelers appear to have a QB just one year after Roethlisberger's retirement.
- They have so many pieces to build around. George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth are prime examples of this offensively speaking.
- Following a solid trade with the Chicago Bears, the Steelers now own two picks in the Top 32 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Steelers shouldn't be in such a good position following the retirement of a quarterback. But they are. That's a huge W for the season. Those scrappy, underdog Steelers fought hard.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
