Three weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were 10-3 and atop the AFC North. The team was playing well in all three phases, and it seemed as though they were capable of beating any team in the NFL on any given Sunday. For the first time in years, Steelers fans were feeling good about the playoffs; it felt like more than just a formality securing a playoff spot. For this fan, at least, over the past few seasons, I never felt good about the chances of Pittsburgh having postseason success. The Steelers were ready to take on the Eagles and compete against a very talented Philadelphia football team.

Then, after some offensive woes and a 4th quarter drive lasting 10 minutes in which the Steelers defense could not get off the field, Pittsburgh dropped to 10-4. A very similar result came in an almost identical manner against the Baltimore Ravens, dropping the Steelers to 10-5. Multiple missed opportunities for turnovers and more offensive woes against the Kansas City Chiefs resulted in another loss at home to the defending Super Bowl champs. The Steelers now sit at 10-7, have lost control of the AFC North at least for the time being, and are not playing good football.

None of that should matter, right? Pittsburgh has already punched their ticket to the postseason, and so the remainder of the regular season is insignificant. I disagree completely with that thought process. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said it best in multiple interviews with the media: playoff success is all about who gets hot in December. I can remember as a child and a young adult hearing Roethlisberger talk about this. The older I get, the more I understand it. In the National Football League, every team has incredible talent. While some teams do need to make major changes to be successful week in and week out, players and coaches in the league did not get there by chance. Any given Sunday, an underdog can rise up. Intangibles like leadership, heart, momentum, winning culture, and the drive to win are often what separates the good teams from the great teams. Coming back to getting hot late in the season, having success late in December helps to build up confidence, momentum, and inspires players and coaches alike. In terms of scheme and game planning, belief is instilled when these things are being executed and resulting in success. Coaching staffs feel good about their ability to plan for their opponents, and the players buy in.

Taking a look at the NFL right now, the great teams are getting hot late in the season and are starting to separate themselves. The Buccaneers manhandled the Panthers. Buffalo took care of the New York Jets and made it look easy. Dallas seemingly had no chance against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Eagles secured that win with their second and third string quarterbacks throwing passes. The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs are also stacking wins late in the season and finding success. There are other great teams not mentioned here that are playing great football late.

As hard as it is to say as a Steelers fan, Baltimore and Kansas City are perhaps the best examples this season thus far. Earlier in the year, there was talk regarding both teams, especially with Kansas City, about how there were struggles. The teams were not as good as their records suggested. They had some luck on their way to a few of their wins. However, both teams coming down the stretch are finding ways to win. They are playing their best football and coming together as teams at the perfect time. Those teams that come together late in the season tend to ride that into the playoffs and have success in January.

Turning to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they unfortunately have had the exact opposite happen. They are not playing good football in December, and that is concerning regarding the playoffs. Granted, the Steelers have faced some great franchises over the last three weeks; it isn’t so much that they are losing, but it is how they are losing. That is the disheartening part. Limited success on offense, tiring out the defense as a result of that, and an inability for the defense to stop the run and get off the field late in games is not acceptable if the Steelers want any chance of success in the playoffs.

Are the Steelers doomed? Not necessarily, as they did punch their ticket to the postseason and anything can happen. However, as it stands at this moment, the intangibles certainly are not on their side.