Pittsburgh Steelers Clinch Playoffs, Eye Division Title

By Cory Buck | Dec 22, 2014

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jason Worilds (93) reacts after recording a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff berth with their Week 16 victory, but now they can win the division with a Week 17 victory.

The Pittsburgh Steelers might be the hottest team in the NFL right now and they’re peaking at the right time. With just one game left in the season, the team has gone from a fringe playoff participant to a clinched playoff spot with a shot at winning the division.

More from NFL

“That’s what we came here for is hardware that we pick up along the way in terms of our ultimate goal,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Offensive lineman Ramon Foster concurred. “Our ultimate goal is to get to make it to Arizona. A lot of people might not think that we are capable of being that type of team, but we think we are.”

Right now, the Steelers have a Super Bowl-caliber offense that’s fueling the team’s run that has seen them win four of their last five games. They have one more game, at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, and if Pittsburgh can win that game they’ll be AFC North champions.

But this last game showed a versatility not previously seen in Pittsburgh. The vaunted offense, led by top-five guys at the three major skill positions, wasn’t flying in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but a stout defensive effort picked up the slack for a team that had to win to clinch the playoffs.

“They did their job, and I am happy they’re getting hot at the right time,” Foster said of the defense. “They stood up in a major way.”

If the Steelers can strike that balance further, they could be not just a contender for their own division, but for that of the AFC and beyond.

More from FanSided

Home/NFL