It wasn’t long ago that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season appeared to be slipping away.
They looked horrible in a 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 30, when the home crowd at Acrisure Stadium booed loudly and chanted for coach Mike Tomlin to be fired. The loss was the Steelers’ fifth in seven games, dropping their record to 6-6.
However, the Steelers have had a resurgence the last two weeks, beating the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 in a showdown for the AFC North lead two weeks ago, then defeating the Miami Dolphins 28-15 on Monday night. From an offensive standpoint, the turnaround stemmed from a heart-to-heart talk between coordinator Arthur Smith and the players.
"I think it's just the communication throughout the week," Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “Really got on the same page about how we see the game plans moving forward. I think anytime anybody's being heard from their point of view, and their point of view is definitely being executed on game days, it's that much more exciting for you to go out there and make plays."
The point of the season is here to make plays for the Steelers (8-6), who lead the Ravens (7-7) by one game in the division standings with three games remaining as they try to win their first AFC North title since 2020. The Steelers will host a playoff game at Acrisure Stadium if they capture the division title.
Thus, every game is pivotal, including Sunday’s matchup with the Lions (8-6) in Detroit.
“They're a physical group, physical team, a team that's definitely hungry too," Metcalf said of the Lions. "I know we're going to get their best shot. So, just going in and just matching their intensity, still putting up more points than them and stopping their explosive offense."
In other words, from an offensive standpoint, the Steelers need to continue making plays the way they have in the two games.
"I think we've just been executing the game plan," Metcalf said. "All 11 of us have all been on the same page. I think we're hungry to better our position to make sure we're here for a home playoff game."