Which playoff team is the most dangerous threat?
By Josh Hill
Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC North, (8-2)
Week 11 Result: Obliterated the Titans, 40-17
One Weakness: Ben Roethlisberger is a problem. Watching him throw the ball, it’s an ugly sight and one that could rear its head against a defense that smells blood in the water. It’s reminiscent of Peyton Manning’s 2014 campaign where he was throwing bombs downfield but they weren’t on target. This is because his arm was so shot that he had to put everything he had into a throw to get it close to where he wanted but didn’t have that control.
Big Ben is getting to that point, which is why we’re seeing Todd Haley living out his fantasy of dink-and-dunk more consistently. Roethlisberger’s bad arm is why people are so quick to call Antonio Brown the best receiver of the last quarter century — he makes his quarterback look better than he is.
For as good as Roethlisberger can be when needed, don’t forget that the Jaguars defense ate him alive and the Bears found a way to lock him down as well. Indianapolis took the Steelers to the wire, so this team is undeniably flawed.
Why They’re Legit: Despite the flaws, Mike Tomlin has oiled up the machine so well that it just works. Everything said about Big Ben is true, yet he quarterbacked an offense that scored 40-points on Thursday night. That’s the Steelers style — they just make it work when it shouldn’t.
Last year in Arrowhead the Steelers exposed the Chief’s flaws well enough to mask their own. This year they were in tight battles against the Colts and Browns but managed to hold serve just long enough to get out with wins. That’s all you need to do in the playoffs, there’s no added bonus for winning with style. Pittsburgh knows how to win ugly in January and the winning part is all that matters.