The Pittsburgh Steelers discovered not solely that they’ll have a sport to play subsequent week but in addition who, when, and the place they’ll play. The solutions to these questions are the Payments in Buffalo on Sunday at 1 PM EST. The 2 groups within the AFC with the longest successful streaks.
Whereas the Steelers come into the playoffs scorching after successful their last three video games, the Payments have run the desk up to now 5 video games to assert the AFC East and with it, the second seed. That used to imply a bye week, however now it means they play the seventh seed, which didn’t exist till 2020.
Buffalo Payments soccer hasn’t at all times been fairly this season, however they nonetheless ended the 12 months 11-6. Their five-game successful streak consists of victories over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Miami Dolphins, the latter their division rival, who would have been the second seed if Buffalo didn’t beat them yesterday.
The Payments enter the sport almost 10-point favorites to beat the Steelers, however Pittsburgh has confronted lengthy odds earlier than. In any case, they turned the primary group to win the Tremendous Bowl from the sixth seed, beating the highest three seeds of their convention and the highest seed within the NFC, again in 2005.
However did the Payments look unbeatable? Of their wins within the last 5 video games, just one got here by a number of scores, a surprising 31-10 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys. They beat the Chiefs with a discipline purpose within the last two minutes and had been solely spared giving up a late go-ahead landing as a result of Kadarius Toney lacks spatial consciousness. They solely beat the Chargers by two due to a discipline purpose within the last minute, as effectively. They entered the fourth quarter in opposition to the Dolphins final night time trailing 14-7, getting a 95-yard punt return landing.
So that is an 11-6 group coming into the playoffs on a five-game successful streak, however not one that appears to be a juggernaut. Certainly, outdoors of the first-seed Baltimore Ravens, whom the Steelers have overwhelmed twice, there doesn’t look to be any group within the convention that’s taking part in full soccer.
To not overlook the Payments in any respect, however I don’t need individuals to dismiss out of hand the potential of the Steelers with the ability to win, both. If they will run on Buffalo, they will management the sport, and the Payments’ run protection is nothing particular, even when improved from the primary half of the season. They struggled in opposition to Miami final night time, permitting 108 yards on the bottom on simply 20 makes an attempt.
Pittsburgh comes into the sport with its personal motive for optimism given the current success. If they will play the way in which they’ve been taking part in for the previous few weeks, then they’ve a legit likelihood to get via to the following spherical. And one can hope they could have T.J. Watt again by then, even when in a restricted capability.
