A Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Cardinals would go a long way towards making the AFC Playoffs

Before anyone skips over the article and goes straight to the comment section to write:

“No kidding a win would help towards making the playoffs!”

Realize that every game down the stretch, combined with a myriad of other variables, brings with it a different magnitude towards the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff hopes and dreams.

At 7-5, they are currently 6th in the AFC Playoff Picture heading into Week 14, but teams like the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders are lurking behind them. A slip up against the 3-8-1 Arizona Cardinals this Sunday would be devastating towards their playoff chances.

However, a win would be a huge catapult to the team getting into the January postseason schedule. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, a win Sunday would increase the Steelers’ odds of making the playoffs to 74.2%.

Talk about a stark difference between now and where the Steelers were back in September when head coach Mike Tomlin eloquently talked about getting that “September stench” off themselves.

They have done that by winning their last two games and five of their last six regular season games. The wins are tremendous, but how they’ve been winning are also noteworthy. They have been through three quarterbacks this season, a myriad of offensive players ranging from rookies to unknown names picked up off practice squads. On defense they have leaned heavily on their experience, but newcomers and trades were made to help put this unit over the top.

On paper it looks like a win this Sunday is a slam dunk, but nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and nothing is certain when it comes to Mike Tomlin’s teams traveling across the country. The good news is the last time the team made this cross country trek Devlin Hodges was the quarterback and they beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football.

Devlin Hodges is the quarterback heading into Week 14, and this game couldn’t be bigger for a team who is looking to defy the odds and make the playoffs after a year off of postseason play in 2018.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare for the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.