Entering postseason on 4-game losing streak, Steelers have ‘choice to respond the right way’

Despite backpedaling into the AFC playoffs on a four-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Steelers late Saturday night sounded more like a team ready to wear their white jerseys than wave a white towel.

After winning 10 of their first 13 games, the Steelers ended the regular season with losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. By doing so, they blew a chance to clinch the AFC North Division and earn a home playoff game.

Instead, the Steelers (10-7) will enter the wild-card round as either the No. 5 seed and play at the Houston Texans or as the No. 6 seed and play the Ravens (12-5) in Baltimore.

“The big part to it all is no matter where you are in the playoffs — and I’ve been fortunate to play in the playoffs a bunch — the reality is when you step in the playoffs, it’s a new slate,” Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson said. “It’s a new opportunity. That’s just the truth. That’s just the reality of what it is. No matter how successful you’ve been in the regular season, no matter how tough the last part has been for us, we have a choice to respond the right way.”

Wilson shared that he had a “cool conversation” before Saturdays’ 19-17 loss to the Bengals with Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis about the 2005 Steelers, who entered the playoffs as a No. 6 seed and won three playoff games on the road on their way to the Super Bowl XL championship.

The difference is that Steelers team recovered from a three-game slide to end the regular-season on a four-game winning streak, where this one won seven of eight before finishing on a four-game skid.

“It was cool talking to The Bus about that because I wanted to get some perspective on how the team approached it,” Wilson said. “The reality was, this week is the only week that matters. That team overcame a lot of obstacles. That team was able to respond the right way. I believe that’s who we’re going to be, respond the right way.”

No one wants that more than Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who extended his streak of non-losing seasons to 18 years but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. Where Wilson was adamant that the Steelers need to have a case of amnesia, putting their poor play behind them, Tomlin promised to preach a different approach this week.

Tomlin harped on their inability to make routine plays to sustain drives on offense and get off the field on defense, to get sacks and create turnovers. After three double-digit losses, the Steelers couldn’t win a close game despite having possession in the final minute.

“I don’t know that you go clean slate,” Tomlin said. “You better learn from these lessons, you know what I mean? We’re a mentally tough group. It’s OK to learn from these lessons and remember the things that created this. Nothing mystical about it. That’s going to be my mentality, and I’m going to relate that to the guys as we move into next week.”

Where they once had a two-game lead in the division race, the Steelers now enter the AFC playoffs as a decided underdog. It’s a role they vow to relish, much the same way the 2005 Steelers reveled in wearing their white (away) jerseys throughout their Super Bowl run.

“I’m very confident in this group. There is belief in the group. That’s all that matters,” said Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward, noting that Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau always preached the importance of going to The Dance. “We’re playing with house money. Nobody is going to make it easy for us, but I like us as a group. It’s about ironing out our mistakes and cleaning it up.”

As much as Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said it “isn’t ideal” to enter the postseason on a four-game skid, he would rather focus on a reset than dwell on how the regular season ended.

“Nobody really cares if we go in as an underdog,” Porter said. “We’ve just got to play sound football. When we get on that level, there’s nobody that can beat us. If we don’t, then we’re going to be going home. It’s four in a row, so we’ve got no choice but to keep moving forward and worry about next weekend and getting this victory.”