After starting the season 2-6, the Steelers may be in the postseason if they defeat the Browns on Sunday and get a little help.
They also have a chance to continue head coach Mike Tomlin’s streak of never having a losing season in his now 16 years as Pittsburgh’s head coach.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett has led critical late-game drives in the last two weeks to get the Steelers back to .500, beating the Raiders and Ravens.
At the end of last week’s game, there was a shot of head coach Mike Tomlin saying, “Kenny f—ing Pickett” to his quarterback as the signal-caller made his way to the sideline.
Asked about the moment this week, Pickett said Tomlin will say things like that, “if you make good plays.”
“I think it depends on the play that you made too, so, it was a good play in a big-time moment,” Pickett said in his Wednesday press conference. “He talks about the weighty moments. Coach is passionate — you love that out of your coach.”
Pickett also mentioned the steadiness that Tomlin has shown in navigating the team through what’s been a down-and-up season.
“I mean, he’s the same guy,” Pickett said. “You’re talking about being 2-6, he’s the same guy now that we’re 8-8, and we’re fighting for that playoff spot. His sense of urgency is always there. The passion he has for the game, his energy at six in the morning when he walks in the building is the same every single day, no matter what the record is.
“So obviously, being 2-6 is not where you want to be. I don’t know if there was any doubt, but we rallied together and we came together. We believe in each other and believe in what we’re doing. Now, we’re sitting in a spot where we can make something happen here. So, we’ve got to take care of business on Sunday. But he’s been the same exact guy since the first day I got here. Just consistency throughout.”
We’ll see if that consistency will translate to another winning season and another postseason appearance on Sunday.
