{"id":10793,"date":"2025-07-29T10:42:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T10:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=10793"},"modified":"2025-07-29T10:42:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T10:42:43","slug":"steelers-2025-nfl-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/steelers-2025-nfl-season-preview","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Can Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin Turn the Clock Back to 2010 for Super Bowl Push?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You could argue no team in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/league\/nfl-352\">NFL<\/a> is putting all their eggs in one basket like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/team\/pittsburgh-steelers-6761\">Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> are doing with the 2025 season. From their months-long patience with quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/aaron-rodgers-93928\">Aaron Rodgers<\/a> to their wide receiver swap (D.K. Metcalf in, George Pickens out) and revamped secondary, the Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin look ready to do whatever it takes to end their longest playoff-win drought since the merger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomlin has even <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/article\/mike-tomlin-brutally-honest-non-165000543.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall\">recently admitted<\/a> that the team\u2019s streak of non-losing seasons doesn\u2019t mean a lot. The Steelers can set the all-time NFL record at 22 seasons in 2025, but the number to focus on is zero playoff wins in the last eight seasons. Tomlin hasn\u2019t been to a Super Bowl since the 2010 season, which coincidentally he lost to Rodgers and the Packers, and that remains the only Super Bowl appearance on the resume of the 4-time MVP quarterback as he eyes this as his final NFL season at 42 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Steelers also look ready to avenge their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/teams\/pit\/2020.htm\">2020 collapse<\/a> after an 11-0 start, because Rodgers, Metcalf, Robert Woods, Jonnu Smith, Darius Slay, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/jalen-ramsey-93152\">Jalen Ramsey<\/a> sounds like a 2021 NFL Dream Team thrown together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But while it took some months, there is a vision peeking through here. The Steelers originally looked like a team without a plan. They gutted 100% of their quarterback room for the second year in a row before the draft, something no other NFL team has done in the Super Bowl era. They waited patiently for Rodgers, who finally signed in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When they traded for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/dk-metcalf-92709\">D.K. Metcalf<\/a> from Seattle, it didn\u2019t make much sense as he\u2019d be a bad fit with George Pickens, who is a similar type of receiver. But then the Steelers traded the disgruntled Pickens to Dallas to get what they could for a player unlikely to earn an extension with Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that also means the Steelers are on a short list of teams that got rid of their leading passer (Russell Wilson), receiver (George Pickens), and rusher (Najee Harris) from the previous season. But there are certainly reasonable replacements for each spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing the Steelers almost never did during Ben Roethlisberger\u2019s tenure was splurge in the free-agency market to add a difference maker at cornerback. If there\u2019s a position group that could put this team over the top in 2025, it\u2019d be the corners with Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey coming over to help out Joey Porter Jr. They did have to trade safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to make this happen, but the Steelers have never aggressively attacked the secondary like this before in Tomlin\u2019s career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a bold experiment that could backfire badly when you\u2019re resting your hopes on a lot of transplants and one of the oldest quarterbacks in NFL history, who hasn\u2019t won a playoff game since the COVID vaccine he never wanted to take was still brand new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sportsbooks have only slightly budged on favoring the Steelers to finish under 8.5 wins (-125 at FanDuel), which would be a losing record. Picking the Steelers to finish 8-9 in an ironic twist after acquiring Rodgers is something I\u2019ve wanted to do for months. But as we get closer to the season, it\u2019s starting to feel like this has to work well enough to produce yet another winning record for Tomlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But a playoff win? That\u2019s a different story. Let\u2019s look at the full changes for the 2025 Steelers and their best bets this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#previously-on-steelers-its-a-rerun-they-lost-another-wild-card-game\">Previously on STEELERS: It\u2019s a Rerun; They Lost Another Wild-Card Game<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#pittsburgh-steelers-offseason-review\">Pittsburgh Steelers Offseason Review<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#steelers-making-aaron-rodgers-comfortable-in-his-final-games\">Steelers: Making Aaron Rodgers Comfortable in His Final Games<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#reasons-to-doubt-this-experiment-with-rodgers-in-pittsburgh\">Reasons to Doubt This Experiment with Rodgers in Pittsburgh<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#is-there-a-return-to-elite-defense-in-pittsburgh\">Is There a Return to Elite Defense in Pittsburgh?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#best-bets-for-the-2025-steelers\">Best Bets for the 2025 Steelers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"previously-on-steelers-its-a-rerun-they-lost-another-wild-card-game\">Previously on STEELERS: It\u2019s a Rerun; They Lost Another Wild-Card Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Expectations weren\u2019t super high for the Steelers going into 2024. They started 3-0 after facing a stiff Kirk Cousins in his first game after his Achilles surgery, a rookie Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert left Week 3\u2019s game in the third quarter with an injury. See how easy this stuff looks in hindsight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with the team not scoring much and the defense doing the heavy lifting, people were twisting the record to make Justin Fields sound better than he was as he filled in for Russell Wilson, who injured his calf in the preseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure enough, when Fields finally had to win a high-scoring game in Indianapolis and have a clutch moment, he folded, and the Steelers lost. The defense was then picked apart in the closing minutes against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in another loss. That must have made Wilson\u2019s calf feel great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomlin took some heat from the national media for benching Fields for a healthy Wilson after a 4-2 start, but it was always the right call. Wilson backed him up on it, too, as the Steelers produced over 30 points and 400 yards of offense in his first two starts, something this offense hadn\u2019t done since 2018. But it certainly helped that it was against the Jets and Giants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the bye, the Steelers were up to their old tricks by selling hope after upset wins over the Commanders and Ravens. Of course, you knew what\u2019d happen next against a 2-win Cleveland team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Would the Steelers dare beat the Commanders and Ravens before losing to the 2-win Browns?<br><br>Yes, yes they would.<br><br>Better not let that happen tonight.<\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1859717044226359795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 21, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After losing in the snow to Cleveland, the Steelers won two games against the Ohio teams to get to 10-3 with an AFC North title in reach and a tough schedule on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the Steelers wilted against those contenders, losing their final five games of the season. They couldn\u2019t score more than 17 points in any of those games, and their defense was hung out to dry by long drives from the Eagles. Then, Lamar Jackson played some of his best games against the Steelers in a pair of late-season wins. The 2024 Chiefs had their only win by more than 14 points in Pittsburgh, a 29-10 rout on Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even the Bengals came into Pittsburgh in Week 18 and won a 19-17 game, denying Wilson on the final drive. In the playoffs, it was the kind of lifeless performance we\u2019ve come to expect as the Steelers quickly fell behind 21-0 in Baltimore in the first half. They lost 28-14, ensuring yet another season with a winning record but no playoff wins. Not even close to one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s beyond old at this point, so something had to change this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pittsburgh-steelers-offseason-review\">Pittsburgh Steelers Offseason Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While Tomlin has retained his coordinators (Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin), few teams have made as many significant changes to their roster as the Steelers this year. That goes for both sides of the ball, and it\u2019s a combo of veterans and their rookie class who will try to get this team back in real contention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"steelers-making-aaron-rodgers-comfortable-in-his-final-games\">Steelers: Making Aaron Rodgers Comfortable in His Final Games<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That headline purposely sounds like we\u2019re talking about an 18-year-old cat or your grandfather, and in NFL terms, we kind of are with a quarterback set to turn 42 years old in December. It\u2019s an age that really only Tom Brady has excelled at in the NFL at the quarterback position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/aaron-rodgers-steelers-nfl-quarterbacks\">covered the issue of age with Rodgers<\/a> this offseason. Without repeating too much of that or too much of the previews from the 2023 and 2024 Jets, let\u2019s just say his injury history isn\u2019t that worrisome. He was taken down hard and broke his collarbone in 2013 and 2017, and obviously, he tore his Achilles on the opening drive in 2023. But the arm is still strong enough, and he played all 17 games last year for the Jets. The Steelers also brought back Mason Rudolph, who has been successful in small pinches for them over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can be worried about Rodgers\u2019 age to a fault this year, but the bigger concern should be that he\u2019s had his two worst statistical seasons in 2022 and 2024, he missed the playoffs both years, and the focus should be on how he fits into coordinator Arthur Smith\u2019s new-look offense here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Age is just a number, as any football player can get injured on any play, so let\u2019s not overload on that part of this. We have also seen enough history that a great quarterback can go somewhere new and have instant success, including Joe Montana (1993 Chiefs), Brett Favre (2009 Vikings), Peyton Manning (2012 Broncos), Tom Brady (2020 Buccaneers), and Matthew Stafford (2021 Rams).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Rodgers following so much of the Favre path, maybe his 2025 season in Pittsburgh is like Favre\u2019s first year with Minnesota in 2009, meaning he\u2019ll get to the Championship Game before throwing a back-breaking interception years before we find out he allegedly tried to defraud a state\u2019s welfare fund to build a volleyball gymnasium for his daughter (assuming his wife is a real person and capable of childbirth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But one thing at a time. There are flaws that have been ever-present in Rodgers\u2019 game that are worth addressing here. For one, he\u2019s always had a knack for avoiding interceptions, almost to the detriment of his offense, as he\u2019s not taking enough chances at times to generate bigger plays down the field. He\u2019ll take more sacks than he should because of this, but maybe that\u2019s changing as he gets older. Old quarterbacks don\u2019t like to get hit as it takes longer to recover, and he threw 23 interceptions in 2022-24, a high amount for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Steelers have a very young offensive line, including three probable starters from their 2024 draft class alone. Left tackle Broderick Jones, their 2023 first-round pick, is only going into his third season, too, so this is probably the greenest group Rodgers has ever played behind, so that could be a little scary if they don\u2019t develop properly up front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rodgers is also used to playing from ahead. In his prime, the Packers were the best front-running team we\u2019ve ever seen, going 19 straight games without trailing in the fourth quarter in 2010-11, including that Super Bowl run. But he\u2019s always lacked the killer instinct to put games away late, and he\u2019s always had an underwhelming number of comebacks and game-winning drives for a quarterback of his caliber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, Rodgers set career highs with three fourth-quarter comebacks and four game-winning drives, and the Packers still missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record. But Tomlin has an affinity for winning a ton of close games as the Steelers rarely blow teams out, so it\u2019ll be interesting to see how that dynamic unfolds here. The Steelers were only 1-5 at 4QC opportunities last year, so things didn\u2019t work out as well with Fields and Wilson in that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Rodgers has to upstage a Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, or Burrow in a big game, can he still do it? Maybe we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"788\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Mahomes-1167424581_MM-788x1024.jpg\" alt=\"KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 10: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs up field during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium on August 10, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri.\" class=\"wp-image-2506\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Peter G. Aiken\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reasons-to-doubt-this-experiment-with-rodgers-in-pittsburgh\">Reasons to Doubt This Experiment with Rodgers in Pittsburgh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While you could argue the Steelers were right to get rid of the players they did, their new group of skill players around Rodgers are a questionable bunch. Another thing we know about Rodgers from his long career is that he\u2019s always been a wide receiver-centric passer. He\u2019s played with a lot of quality pass catchers, too, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;ll throw to the running backs and tight ends, too, but no tight end has ever produced an 800-yard receiving season with Rodgers. He\u2019s helped a wide receiver to that number 23 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Aaron Rodgers &#8211; 800-yard receivers produced in career<br><br>WR &#8211; 23 <br>TE &#8211; 0<br><br>Most yards by an Aaron Rodgers TE<br><br>2011 Jermichael Finley &#8211; 767<br>2009 Jermichael Finley &#8211; 676<br><br>2024 TE yards<br>Jonnu Smith &#8211; 889 (566 in 9 games w\/Tua returned)<br>Pat Freiermuth &#8211; 653<\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1939856866294837623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Steelers were certainly onto something when they traded for D.K. Metcalf and traded away George Pickens to Dallas. It wouldn\u2019t have been a good duo as they don\u2019t complement each other well at all. It\u2019d be the Spider-Man pointing meme, and while it would have been good for viral moments in its own right, it was a smart move to trade Pickens for whatever they could get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, leaving Metcalf as far and away the best receiver for Rodgers is questionable. He\u2019s a very good player, but he\u2019s not a high catch rate guy like Adams, Rodgers\u2019 BFF he had to bring with him to the Jets last year. That card is played out as Adams is happily with the Rams this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Rodgers is seeking a slot guy and a high-percentage receiver, I guess he could warm up to veteran Robert Woods. But he\u2019s 33 and his production has fallen off a cliff since his 2021 injury with the Rams. Maybe Calvin Austin can look better than ever with Rodgers throwing him the ball, but it\u2019s not the deepest or most reliable receiving corps for Rodgers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then there\u2019s the tight ends issue. The Steelers had a clear TE1 last year in Pat Freiermuth, who actually led the team with 65 catches and was second in yards (653). He has some killer drops on his career resume, but he\u2019s a passable TE1. Yet, the Steelers acquired <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/jonnu-smith-94508\">Jonnu Smith<\/a> in the trade with Miami that saw the defensive backs get swapped, and Smith is a player that Arthur Smith loves. Smith also had 884 yards and 8 touchdowns in a career season for Miami last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2219535928-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10:  Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. \" class=\"wp-image-10807\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Justin K. Aller\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s hard to see Rodgers leading an offense with a WR1 who catches 60% of his passes and is better as an athletic freak rather than a consistent chain mover. Then are the two tight ends going to be the second and third-leading receivers? That might be Arthur Smith\u2019s dream, but it doesn\u2019t mesh one bit with Rodgers\u2019 career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, there is a big disconnect here with Rodgers and Smith differing on how they view the tight end position. They\u2019ll have to figure that out quickly, and Metcalf may need to be used differently from his Seattle days and catch some shorter passes like Adams did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for the running backs, Najee Harris is gone. Jaylen Warren probably can\u2019t replicate his workload, but he can be a good part of a committee approach and is a solid receiver. The Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) in the third round, and he could grow into a Harris-type of role for them. The Steelers just released Cordarrelle Patterson, but they still have veterans like Kenneth Gainwell (Eagles) and Trey Sermon (Colts) competing for depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t feel like an explosive offense, but the Steelers are no strangers to grinding out ugly wins under Tomlin. Rodgers is simply going to have to get used to that in a hurry, and it would help a lot if the defense is as good as it possibly can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In the last decade, 6 NFL teams have won games with 6+ FGs and no touchdowns.<br><br>Mike Tomlin has half of the wins.<\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1858273374432288915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 17, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-there-a-return-to-elite-defense-in-pittsburgh\"><strong>Is There a Return to Elite Defense in Pittsburgh?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With the Steelers signing Aaron Rodgers to a 1-year deal worth a maximum of $19.5 million if he hits every incentive, they had some money to spread around the rest of the roster. T.J. Watt just cashed in for a 3-year extension worth $41 million per season, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. He\u2019ll be 31 this season and is a favorite for Defensive Player of the Year again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there are some exciting things happening with this defense that leaves Tomlin with few excuses not to get his best results in years on this side of the ball:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Watt is the superstar, but Cameron Heyward is the leader up front, and he\u2019s returning with a chance to mentor first-round pick Derrick Harmon (Oregon) as his potential replacement when Cam retires. That was a great pick.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payton Wilson made some impressive plays as a rookie linebacker and joins Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith to complete the front seven.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Corner Darius Slay is 34 and just won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, and he could still play at a high level without even needing to guard the toughest assignments on this depth chart.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Steelers were dissatisfied with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick\u2019s lack of splash plays in recent years, so he was traded to Miami in exchange for corner Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith in a huge June trade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These moves don\u2019t mean the Steelers are giving up on corner Joey Porter Jr. by any means, going into his third season. You can never have enough good corners in the NFL, and Porter could learn so much from Slay and Ramsey, who have both been top corners in their careers. Ramsey turns 31 in October, so he\u2019s still a viable corner you can put on a team\u2019s best receiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Replacing Fitzpatrick with veteran Juan Thornhill (Chiefs and Browns) isn\u2019t the greatest move, but if it helps you cover the top wideout with Ramsey, then that might be a fair trade-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Frankly, these moves probably put the Steelers in a better position to beat the Bengals by being able to pressure Joe Burrow and cover Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, they might be more vulnerable against the Ravens, who can just attack you down the middle of the field with Derrick Henry and their two tight ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But real ones know it\u2019s not about the regular season for Tomlin\u2019s defense. This playoff losing streak is largely due to horrific defense as the Steelers have gone six straight playoff games allowing at least 28 points, the longest streak in NFL history by two games.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only good news about January\u2019s 28-14 wild card loss to Baltimore is it\u2019s the first time since 2015 that Tomlin\u2019s defense didn\u2019t allow its season high in points in the postseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Steelers &#8211; Last 5 playoff trips<br><br>2023 &#8211; Allowed season high 31 points vs. BUF<br>2021 &#8211; Allowed season high 42 points vs. KC<br>2020 &#8211; Allowed season high 48 points vs. CLE<br>2017 &#8211; Allowed season high 45 points vs. JAX<br>2016 &#8211; Allowed season high 36 points vs. NE<\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1755341589721874457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 7, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But others, such as retired New England wideout Julian Edelman, have shed some light on Tomlin\u2019s defensive shortcomings. Edelman had this scathing analysis of Tomlin\u2019s defense in January:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Julian Edelman said recently that the Steelers ran the same scheme and never changed: \u201cYou knew exactly what they were doing. And they still do what they did. They still do the same goddamn shit as when I was playing Tomlin\u2019s defense. I\u2019m like, \u2018We still have linebackers covering\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PNeKvKVOno\">https:\/\/t.co\/PNeKvKVOno<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Steelers Depot 7\u20e3 (@Steelersdepot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Steelersdepot\/status\/1884724692373954791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter how good things look in the regular season, the Steelers will have to prove it in the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"best-bets-for-the-2025-steelers\">Best Bets for the 2025 Steelers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Steelers have an over\/under 8.5 wins, are slotted to finish third in the tough AFC North, and they are not favored to make the playoffs (+142 at FanDuel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when you look at the schedule, it really does break well for the Steelers early, especially for Aaron Rodgers\u2019 best interests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You get a Week 1 game against the Jets and Justin Fields, which should be winnable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seattle has to come to Pittsburgh for an early body clock game, and Sam Darnold is the kind of quarterback this defense could rough up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Week 3 is in New England, and Mike Vrabel\u2019s teams are tough, but we\u2019ll see what Drake Maye and company do this year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Week 4 is in Ireland against Minnesota, and a young J.J. McCarthy \u2013 expect the Steelers to have huge crowd representation in Ireland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After an early bye (Week 5), the Steelers host Cleveland before going to play Cincinnati on a Thursday night in a building they are excellent in.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Packers come to face Rodgers in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football in Week 8, so you know he\u2019ll be amped for that one.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Steelers host the Colts to start November, so that\u2019s another potential win.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s really not a game there where you\u2019d say, \u201cthey have no business winning that one\u201d and we\u2019re talking about eight games. A lot of chances for a great start, but how do you finish after you turned 10-3 into a nightmare last year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, it gets tougher with road trips to the Chargers, Bears (should be better this year), and the Ravens in Baltimore start December. They also have to play the Bills and the rematch with the Bengals, who usually play better in Pittsburgh than they do in Cincy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hosting the Dolphins on Monday night in Week 15 should be a win if you know the team histories there. A trip to Detroit (Week 16) is really tough, then it\u2019s off to Cleveland before a rare case of hosting the Ravens in Week 18. Who knows where things will be at that point? Will the Ravens need to win, or can they rest starters? Hard to say now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you add it all up, and as much as I wanted to go with the 8-9 finish, I like the veteran additions too much to still take over 8.5 wins. It may very well be 9-8 or 10-7 again, but it\u2019s another winning record nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also think the improved secondary and potential for more sustained offense can help T.J. Watt win another Defensive Player of the Year award, so he\u2019s a favorite pick for that this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it enough for the playoffs? That\u2019s tough to say in a deep AFC. That probably depends on how the games go with the Chargers and Bengals and the tie-breakers those create. I\u2019d bet on it to happen, but I certainly wouldn\u2019t count on this team to win a wild-card game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, the standard is still the standard, and the Steelers have gotten very comfortable with getting bounced on wild-card weekend. Their best hope of winning a playoff game would probably be getting the No. 5 seed and playing the AFC South winner, but even that isn\u2019t a sure thing, as Tomlin is winless against DeMeco Ryans (Texans) and Shane Steichen (Colts), and the Jaguars have been giving the Steelers fits since their inception in 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you do, don\u2019t be this bettor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Notable Super Bowl LX bet at Hard Rock:<br><br>$10,000 on Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl 60 at 40-1 odds<br><br>Bet would win $400,000<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HereWeGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#HereWeGo<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BFawkes22\/status\/1949927906265739317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Steelers deserve credit for making big changes this year, but there is still a considerable gap between them and the elite teams in the AFC. This attempt to get there with a 42-year-old quarterback is likely a one-year experiment, so they better maximize it for all they can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Come next year, the search for Ben Roethlisberger\u2019s true successor begins anew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>NFL Pick<\/strong>: Pittsburgh Steelers over 8.5 wins (+105) at FanDuel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NFL Pick<\/strong>: Pittsburgh Steelers to make playoffs (+142) at FanDuel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NFL Pick<\/strong>: 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award \u2013 T.J. Watt (+1000) at FanDuel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div data-widget-type=\"predictions\" data-entity-type=\"game\" data-widget-id=\"0.k7ev7lana6d\" data-lang=\"en-US\" data-entity-id=\"4427486\" data-publisher-id=\"125\" data-live-mode=\"true\" data-hide-powered-by=\"true\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.365scores.com\/main.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/bengals-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Cincinnati Bengals 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Has Enough Been Done with the Defense to Save Zac Taylor\u2019s Job?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/browns-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Cleveland Browns 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Does Kevin Stefanski Survive This Quarterback Mess?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/rams-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Los Angeles Rams 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Is Sean McVay Primed for Another Super Bowl Run?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/seahawks-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Seattle Seahawks 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Is Sam Darnold Legit Now or Will Old Ghosts Keep Haunting Him?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/cardinals-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Is Year 3 the Charm for Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/49ers-2025-nfl-season-preview\">San Francisco 49ers 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Does Kyle Shanahan\u2019s Talented Squad Have One Last Hurrah for a Super Bowl Run?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/raiders-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Las Vegas Raiders 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Reunion for Pete Carroll and Geno Smith in an Elite Division<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/broncos-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Denver Broncos 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Is Bo Nix the One Sean Payton\u2019s Been Waiting for?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/chargers-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Los Angeles Chargers 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Making Justin Herbert Modernized<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/chiefs-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Kansas City Chiefs 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Time to Reinvent the Offense Again<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings\">2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings: This Is Still Patrick Mahomes\u2019 League<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/injury-shaped-story-every-nfl-season\">The Injury That Shaped the Story of Every NFL Season in the 21st Century<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/aaron-rodgers-steelers-nfl-quarterbacks\">Aaron Rodgers Joins 2025 Steelers: Is the NFL Turning into No League for Old Quarterbacks?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nfl-2025-schedule-release-top-stories\">NFL 2025 Schedule Release: The Top Stories to Follow on the Long Path to Super Bowl 60<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/shedeur-sanders-2025-nfl-draft-slide\">The Shedeur Sanders Slide in the 2025 NFL Draft Is Legendary But Also Easy to Explain<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-draft-recap-1st-round\">2025 NFL Draft Recap: A Shocking Travis Hunter Trade and a Shedeur Slanders Slide Highlight the First Round<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nfl-super-bowl-odds-post-free-agency\">Where Every NFL Team Stands After Free Agency: Super Bowl 60 Odds Update<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/bengals-wide-receivers-2025-cap\">Bengals Bungle Team Building 101: Your Franchise QB Shouldn\u2019t Need the Most Expensive Wide Receiver Duo in NFL History<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/do-nfl-teams-blueprint-beat-chiefs-mahomes\">Do NFL Teams Have a Great Blueprint to Beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2025?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/super-bowl-blowout-chiefs-sb60-odds\">Anatomy of a Super Bowl Blowout: Where the Chiefs and Eagles Go from Here and Super Bowl 60 Odds<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-mahomes-tier\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings: How Patrick Mahomes Became His Own Tier<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You could argue no team in the NFL is putting all their eggs in one basket like the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing with the 2025 season. From their months-long patience with quarterback Aaron Rodgers to their wide receiver swap (D.K. Metcalf in, George Pickens out) and revamped secondary, the Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin look &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":10806,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[402,169,1434,519,3848,3622,2369,369,1413,2233,1447,909,47,2513,1446,350,3849,975,48,1448],"class_list":["post-10793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-afc","tag-afc-north","tag-bengals","tag-cameron-heyward","tag-d-k-metcalf","tag-darius-slay","tag-george-pickens","tag-jalen-ramsey","tag-jonnu-smith","tag-mike-tomlin","tag-najee-harris","tag-nfl","tag-pat-freiermuth","tag-pittsburgh","tag-ravens","tag-robert-woods","tag-steelers","tag-super-bowl","tag-t-j-watt","article_type-discover","article_type-news","entity_type-competitor","inspiration-365s-articles","inspiration-planned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10793"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10808,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10793\/revisions\/10808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}