Just last week, the week before the Wild Card matchup between the Steelers and Bills, 69% of Steelers fans surveyed said they had confidence in the team’s direction.
In the same poll, an additional 62% of fans said they expected them to beat Buffalo despite being underdog and relying on star edge rusher T.J.
I had to send it off.
Watt.
Of course, some of the same fan base lost their confidence after this “unexpected” loss.
Wild Card Maybe my expectations for his game were a little too high.
After all, the Steelers were just 1 minute and 10 seconds into the game without Watt.
They faced an up-and-coming Buffalo Bills (-2.
5) team.
Bet $10 on BUF to win KC: $17.
04 .
Win by 2.
5: $19.
09 Week 13 bye (includes wins over Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins).
The win over the Dolphins clinched their fourth consecutive AFC East title after losing 5-5 earlier this year.
In short, this team was a strong football team that overcame many of the same difficult situations as the Steelers, including the firing of their offensive coordinator and a number of key injuries on defense.
What’s the only thing they have that the Steelers don’t?
quarterback.
player.
Mason Rudolph played as well as you would expect from a third-string quarterback in the playoffs.
He finished the game with 229 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, completing 56.
4 percent of his passes, his lowest completion rate of the season.
But he keeps his team in games, and in doing so, he could potentially sign another contract, whether it be with the Steelers or another team, to keep his NFL dreams alive a little longer.
expensive.
The lack of confidence in the Steelers’ direction is compounded by questions about whether anything will really change over the next few years, beyond just the losses.
It was 17 consecutive undefeated seasons, but it wasn’t enough.
This season was one in which they managed to make great strides while making light of the poor competition.
Even if you’re still winning, this way of winning will drive you crazy.
Five consecutive playoff losses?
This is insane.
What will change in 2024?
At least not the head coach.
.
.which brings us to our next finding.
His 45% of Steelers fans were “disappointed” to hear that Mike Tomlin would be back for another season.
Only 28% of fans are “excited” for Tomlin to return, while 27% of fans have no opinion.
It’s not particularly surprising to hear that some fans were expecting Tomlin to be moved, either through a trade or with Art Rooney II giving him the ax.
Fans had asked for it many times throughout the season.
But it’s safe to say that almost everyone knew that these things could never happen.
That’s not the Steelers way.
SB NATION Latest Videos Show More Less Still, it’s perhaps even a little surprising that the number of fans expecting Tomlin to move is as much as 45% higher than him.
In the end, they were able to return to the playoffs with a 10-7 record (5-1 within their division) despite playing in one of the most competitive divisions in football.
But does anything really change?
Quarterback Kenny Pickett, of course, is scheduled to return in 2024, and as long as he can remain as good as the emerging competition around him, he seems to have every opportunity to resume his starting role.
many teams in the league
