Can the Steelers actually make the playoffs?

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have an ideal quarterback situation, but they are now quietly at the .500 mark after upsetting the Indianapolis Colts.

Despite losing Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending injury early in the campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the second best team in the AFC North. In Week 9, the Steelers upset the Indianapolis Colts 26-24 after their opponents botched the hold, leading to Adam Vinatieri missing what should have been the game-winning field goal.

Pittsburgh won by doing just enough to scrape by a Colts team that was 5-2 coming into Week 9 and looked on the road to another playoff appearance under Frank Reich. The Steelers received a clean game from young quarterback Mason Rudolph, who has done pretty well in a game manager role under center.

They also got a solid game on the ground from Trey Edmunds with Jaylen Samuels, second-year wideout James Washington, and touchdown-scoring tight end Vance McDonald all chipping in on offense.

Now, the Steelers did have luck on their side. Jacoby Brissett’s early injury greatly affected the Colts, with Brian Hoyer serving as a massive downgrade despite throwing three touchdowns in a game manager role of his own. Of course, Pittsburgh also created their own luck by sacking Hoyer four times, with edge defenders Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt contributing three QB hits each.

Watt, Dupree, Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, and the other pass rushers in the Steelers lineup form the bedrock of a defense that will have to be great in the second half of the 2019 season if Mike Tomlin’s team is to surprisingly steal playoff spot. But at 4-4, the AFC North’s second-best team is in position to challenge for a Wild Card spot; they are now just one game back of the Indianapolis team they defeated on Sunday.

Right now, the Buffalo Bills, who are 6-2, and the Colts are the teams that would earn the two Wild Card spots by record. The Steelers may not be good enough to compete with the Bills, especially since Buffalo have a two-game advantage after a hot start to the season. However, they just showed that they can beat the Colts. Sure, there’s a qualifier that they beat Hoyer and not Brissett, but this was still an impressive win that further boosts Pittsburgh’s momentum.

Tomlin and Co. are currently on a three-game winning streak and have not lost by more than a score since their Week 1 blowout to the undefeated New England Patriots. Regardless of who has been at quarterback, the Steelers have been competitive on a weekly basis, and now they are starting to win football games. Against the odds, this team is a legitimate playoff contender, even if they aren’t the favorites.

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