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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff probabilities took a big hit on Saturday with a 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in a recreation that had large playoff implications within the AFC.
The Colts (8-6) not solely leap forward of the Steelers (7-7), it additionally offers them the large tiebreaker edge within the AFC wild-card race because of the head-to-head win.
Mixed with the Cincinnati Bengals win earlier within the day, the Steelers now discover themselves on the surface of the AFC playoff discipline and persevering with what has been a surprising — and ugly — second half collapse.
Saturday’s recreation noticed the Steelers leap out to a 13-0 lead and look to be in full management of the sport earlier than utterly unraveling.
They turned the ball over 3 times, together with two brutal interceptions from backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, misplaced two extra key starters on protection when Damontae Kazee was ejected and Minkah Fitzpatrick was injured, and gave up 30 unanswered factors.
Additionally they dedicated a number of pricey penalties, whereas Mike Tomlin made a baffling resolution to punt contained in the Indianapolis 40-yard line whereas down by two scores within the fourth quarter.
It was a large number. It additionally continues what has been a dreadful stretch run.
For the Steelers, it’s their third consecutive loss that has seen them utterly fall out of a playoff spot after having what a transparent path to the postseason simply two weeks in the past.
They have been 7-4, held the highest wild card spot within the AFC, have been inside a recreation of the Baltimore Ravens for the highest spot within the AFC North and had one of the vital favorable remaining schedules within the league.
They’d back-to-back residence video games towards 2-10 groups Arizona and New England, and have been going to play most of their second half schedule towards backup quarterbacks.
Beginning with their Week 10 recreation in Cleveland the opposing quarterbacks on their schedule have been Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Cleveland), Jake Browning (Cincinnati), Kyler Murray (Arizona), Bailey Zappe (New England), Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis), Browning once more, after which closing out the season with Geno Smith (Seattle) and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore).
Lacking the playoffs with that state of affairs appeared nearly unattainable to think about.
However they’ve already misplaced 4 of the primary 5 video games on the above listing, together with each video games (at residence) to the 2-10 groups. Given the damage state of affairs and the best way they’ve performed over the previous few weeks it isn’t a stretch to think about them dropping out the remainder of the best way, whereas the playoffs now appear to be an excessive lengthy shot. In the event that they miss that can be seven consecutive seasons with no playoff win in Pittsburgh and the fifth time in six years they did not win a minimum of 10 video games.
In some unspecified time in the future they should begin trying within the mirror and asking themselves if they’ve the precise individuals in cost.
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