2014 NFL Playoffs: Don’t Count the Pittsburgh Steelers Out

Despite their dominance in previous weeks, it now may tough to look at projections for the 2014 NFL Playoffs and say the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to take the league by storm after their loss to the New York Jets. Sunday’s performance looks bad in the box-score and in the loss column for the Steelers, but there’s no need for panic in Steelers Country as we head into the final stretch of the 2014 season.

Sunday wasn’t pretty, but Mike Tomlin’s team didn’t play a terrible game.

All season, the Steelers have had one major aspect of the game in their favor: every big play has gone their way. In all three phases of the game, Pittsburgh has been able to make other teams pay by having the big-yardage chunks go their way. The script completely flipped against the Jets, playing a huge role in the team’s 20-13 loss.

More from NFL News

• Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
• NFC East Buzz: Isaiah Simmons trade, Deuce Vaughn praise, Eagles rumors & more
• Should Trey Lance be considered an NFL draft bust?
• Jonathan Taylor trade rumors: 3 most alluring fits for Colts star running back
• Tua Tagovailoa: keep ‘my name out of your mouth’; Dolphins QB sends strong message

If Antonio Brown doesn’t fumble a punt return or if Ben Roethlisberger’s red-zone pass doesn’t get tipped and intercepted, we could easily be sitting here today calling Pittsburgh the class of the AFC North. Heck, at 7-3, we’d all be projecting them to be favorites in the AFC.

Because of a few unlucky and poorly timed plays, the Steelers are 6-4 and are forced into the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Taking a look around the rest of the league, I’m not so sold that anyone can have a bigger final stretch than the Steelers. They should jump to 7-4 after next Monday night against the Tennessee Titans heading into a big game against the New Orleans Saints. There’s no reason to believe Tomlin’s group can’t improve on the drop of a hat and jump out to the top of the AFC North in just a few weeks. Young weapons Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell are hot, Roethlisberger is still doing special things in the pocket, and injured defensive players are getting healthy just in time for a big stretch.

The rest of the AFC is a jumbled mess, but the Steelers aren’t complaining. They control their own destiny in not only the North, but the conference. If they can find a way to finish 11-5, there’s a chance to grab the #3 seed in the conference heading into the 2014 NFL Playoffs.

It’s going to be a tough road, but why count the Steelers out just yet?