Is the Steelers’ 2023 season still salvageable?

The Pittsburgh Steelers, a team with a rich history and a passionate fan base, are always in the spotlight regarding sports betting. As the NFL season progresses, casino betting sites and enthusiasts closely monitor the team’s performance, statistics, and other factors to gauge their chances.

So, is the Steelers’ 2023 season still salvageable? I guess that depends on your definition of salvage. 

For some fans, oddly, they don’t want the Steelers to make the playoffs. They would prefer that Mike Tomlin doesn’t add to his losing playoff record… or I think that’s what they mean. Maybe those fans are living in their fears that the team can’t defeat anyone they’d match up against in the AFC bracket.

Then some fans think the Steelers should “tank” – that is, lose games to “improve” their draft position. In theory, by losing, the team’s record would worsen, moving them up the draft order. The problem is, there are so many other bad teams already, with the Steelers currently at 7-6, they probably can’t move down, or up, or whatever, enough to put themselves in the position these fans ultimately want them in: to draft a new quarterback.

I can confidently tell you, right now in December 2023, that the Pittsburgh Steelers, even with a top-five draft pick, aren’t moving on from Kenny Pickett. At least not yet.

Pickett, who is currently sidelined after having “tightrope” surgery on his injured ankle, could return before the season is over. That could be in time for New Year’s Eve’s matchup with the Seattle Seahawks or the final game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens. But should he return?

Despite what critics may say of Pickett, he improves the Steelers chances of making the postseason. The problem is, if he’s only available for the final two games, those become must-win situations for Pittsburgh.

The New York Times provides an interactive simulator that offers insights into each team’s playoff chances. As of Week 15, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a 28% chance of making the playoffs based on 453,000 simulations. Their most likely playoff positions are either securing a wild card spot or missing out on the playoffs altogether.

With four games remaining, the Steelers probably need to win 10 games total to make the playoffs. That means winning three of their final four contests. Next up is the Indianapolis Colts, who were stymied by the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend. The Steelers get those same Bengals, for their final home game at Acrisure Stadium, following the Colts and then finish with the aforementioned Seahawks and Ravens.

Of those four games, the Steelers already have wins over the Bengals and Ravens: those could prove vital for tiebreaking situations, but winning is what’s paramount. Win and they’re in.

Is winning possible? That was a question pitched around this same point last season, when Pickett was sidelined for Mitch Trubisky against the Carolina Panthers. In his relief role, Trubisky did nothing spectacular – or disastrous – in Pittsburgh’s triumph over Carolina. The Steelers ripped off four unlikely victories but ultimately missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Nine wins didn’t cut it last season, and nine won’t this year, meaning the team has to pull a rabbit out of their hat to win three of the next four.

The most daunting of these matchups left on the schedule is against the Ravens, who could lockup the first seed bye in the AFC with a win over the Dolphins. They may not play their full squad should they have their destiny in the bag.

The next critical game is against the Bengals, who have found new life with backup QB Jake Browning. If the Steelers can limit Browning and the Bengals as they did in their first encounter, both games would improve Pittsburgh to 5-1 in the AFC North. That would be good enough to leap even the Cleveland Browns (or the Ravens) should either team drop to a similar record.

Short of that happening, defeating the Colts on Saturday gives the Steelers another conference win and a head-to-head advantage over another playoff hopeful. But what can they do to reach this goal?

Currently the offense and defense are both in the dumps. The defense has the better chance of the two units to turn the tide, starting with Colts QB Gardener Minshew who has 11 touchdowns to 8 interceptions on the season. Likely without star RB Jonathan Taylor, the Colts will have to find creative ways to attack the Steelers defense.

This looks easy compared to making this statement before losses to two, two-win teams in the Cardinals and Patriots. However, Mike Tomlin teams tend to rebound late in the season, winning at least three of their last four games in each of the last two seasons. Should the Steelers overcome injury adjustments on defense, the Colts could become a winnable game.

Of course, that hinges on the offense scoring some points and not turning the ball over. For all of Pickett’s faults, one of his strengths was protecting the football. As of now, in four games of action during the 2023 season, Mitchell Trubisky has turned the ball over four times (three interceptions and a fumble from a poor snap). That has to improve for the Steelers to have a fighting chance.

Luckily for Pittsburgh, the Colts have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and are in the middle of the pack in takeaway differential. The Bengals, who also sport a poor defense, were a “get right” game for the Steelers last month too. This leads to a “never say never” scenario for Pittsburgh.

The Seattle Seahawks have also struggled, both defensively and running the football on offense, where they rank near the bottom of the NFL in those categories. We know the Baltimore Ravens will present a challenge, but by that time that game could look different if Pickett returns to a playoff contending team and/or the Ravens lock up the top seed and rest starters for their final game.

With the entire AFC South losing on Sunday, the Steelers now sit at the sixth seed in the AFC playoff race with these four games to go. Get ready Steelers Nation because things could get interesting in the coming weeks!