The Steelers defied expectation all year long, why can't they do it again

The 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers have already accomplished way more than, mostly, anyone thought this team could ever achieve. The overall consensus around NFL circles was the Pittsburgh Steelers would either finish third or fourth in the division. Some outlets even went as far to say the Pittsburgh Steelers had the worst offseason in 2021, and fans should lower their expectations. But this club just can never say die, and the Steelers managed to prove these doubters wrong to make the playoffs.

This team was never supposed to be in the playoff hunt come December. In fact, they were written off before the 2021 season ever even kicked off. They weren't supposed to beat the Bills in Week 1, they weren't supposed to come back from a 1-3 start, they weren't supposed to come back from tying the winless Lions, they were supposed to be dead in the water after getting throttled by the Bengals, Chargers, Vikings, and Chiefs. On top of that, they were never supposed to get the help they needed to get into the playoffs. But yet, as we sit here today the Steelers overcame all of these storylines/narratives. They have been written off more times than they have losses this year, but again they found a way to make the playoffs.

Now, as we enter the postseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers are being left for dead. They are expected to get routed by the Kansas City Chiefs. At the time of writing the Chiefs are 12.5 point favorites over the Steelers, according to DraftKings. No one expects the Steelers to even put up a fight Sunday night. I would anticipate the internet to implode if the Steelers were to pull off the upset.

It’s the back-to-back AFC’s Super Bowl representative vs. the team with the old quarterback and bad offensive line. How could anyone win the matchup with these storylines?!? But it’s football people... any team can legitimately beat anyone, heck just look at what happened in Jacksonville to get the Steelers into the dance.

The sporting world has left the Steelers for dead on Sunday, but the best part is the Steelers were left for dead 19 weeks ago when the 2021 season kicked off. They can play loose, and don't have any pressure to be victorious. As for the Chiefs, they have all the pressure in the world to win this game. They are supposed to go back to the Super Bowl, and the Steelers are supposed to be an after thought on their path there. It is the perfect situation for the Steelers to walk into as such a heavy under dog...

But what do you think? Can the Pittsburgh Steelers defy expectations once again and knock off the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below.

Also, I spoke about this more on the latest episode of my podcast the Live Mike. Check it out in the player below: