The Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped three gut-wrenching games the last time they have taken the field, and are losers of four of their last five. Taking a promising 6–3 start and turning it into a .500 record with three games remaining has many Steelers fans indifferent to their current situation. With the product on the field being both uninspiring and, as many would describe it, boring, there is part of the fan base that has decided they have better things to do with their valuable time than to concern themselves with such an uninspiring team.

But there’s still a lot of importance when it comes to the outcome of Saturday’s game.

While every game could be an opportunity for individual players to grow and show their place on the team moving forward, I’m going to steer clear of these reasons to watch the game. Instead, I’m sticking to why the result of the game is important depending on the mentality each fan has towards the team at this time.

As I outlined on the most recent episode of the Steelers Stat Geek podcast, here are three reasons why Saturday’s outcome against the Bengals is very important for the remainder of the 2023 season and beyond.

Playoffs

“Are you kidding me? Don’t talk about playoffs.”

Yes, I’m still going to talk about the playoffs. Why? Because the Steelers haven’t been mathematically eliminated.

Even though losing to the Colts last Saturday took the Steelers playoff control out of their hands, there are still reasonable scenarios where the Steelers could still get into the postseason. The most likely way for this to happen would be for the Steelers to win their final three games. As many fans feel, that isn’t a reasonable possibility based on the way the Steelers are playing.

I get it.

But at the same time, any NFL team could have something click together at any moment in the season and get on an impressive streak. That’s what it would take for the Steelers. Even though it’s unlikely, it’s still possible. There are fans out there who, even though it’s unlikely, will continue to focus on the postseason just to get in regardless of how the team is playing at the time.

If you are one of these fans, then Saturday’s game is for you. I’m not sure based on the complexity of the final three weeks if the Steelers could be mathematically eliminated with a loss to Cincinnati, but their low chance of making the playoffs would drop to near zero. This is the last gasp and even winning out their final three games wouldn’t necessarily get the Steelers there.

To address those many fans who like to say, “Why bother making the playoffs if you’re just going to get crushed?” I completely understand the reasoning. But for those fans that say, “There’s no reason for this team to make the preseason because nothing good could happen,” this is simply an incorrect statement. Anyone can win on any given day. But more importantly, the Steelers young players who have never participated in a postseason game could gain valuable experience just by participating in a contest that is unlike the rest of the regular season, regardless of how close the score would end up being.

AFC North Standings

This is a very interesting topic because I’m going to split it into both the optimistic and pessimistic categories. The previous section talking about the playoffs is from the optimistic standpoint and the next point is going to come from the pessimistic point of view. So I’ll take it in that order to group these things together.

For those who are still looking for the 2023 Steelers to be as successful as possible, finishing last place in the AFC North, something the Steelers have not done since it was formed in 2002, would be an embarrassment. Even if the Steelers finished with a winning record and came in last place in the division, it’s still a label that would follow them around. The last time the Steelers came in last place in their division was in 1988 when they finished in fourth place out of the four teams in the AFC Central. That team finished the season 5–11 so there’s no surprise that they were in last place in the standings. But the AFC North is a very competitive division in 2023 so the last place team still potentially could have a good record.

To go back to the previous time the Steelers finished in last place in their division, one will have to go back before the NFL merger and the formation of the AFC and NFC. It was 1969 when the Steelers finished 1–11 which landed them the first overall pick in the NFL draft. So since the merger, the Steelers have only come in last place in their division one time. A loss on Saturday will put the Steelers on pace for it to be the second time in 54 seasons.

Currently, the Steelers are in fourth place in the division. They are a game behind the Cincinnati Bengals and two games behind the Cleveland Browns. With the Baltimore Ravens already sitting at 11 wins, it’s mathematically impossible for the Steelers to catch them for the division. With the Steeler sitting with a 3–1 division record, they would own multiple tiebreakers over the Cincinnati Bengals if they were to defeat them on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. But if the Steelers were to lose on Saturday and fall two games behind Cincinnati with only two to go, they will find their place in the basement for the first time in a long time.

Now for the fans who don’t care about the Steelers staying out of fourth place in the AFC North, they might actually prefer it. The way the NFL schedules are currently set up, there are three games in the 2024 schedule that are against different opponents than the rest of the AFC North will face. These are the matchups based on where a team places within their division from the previous season. The Steelers will be playing a team from the AFC East, AFC South, and NFC South who have the same divisional standing at the end of the season as the Steelers. So if the Steelers finish in fourth place in the AFC North in 2023, they would be facing the fourth place team from these respective divisions. For fans who have washed their hands of the 2023 season and are now looking to 2024, an easier schedule for the Steelers is more important than victories at the end of a struggling season.

Draft Position

Looking at the last sentence of the previous section, it’s going to be more of the same here as this speaks for the fans who are already moved on to next year. Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers would have the 16th pick in the 2024 NFL draft if going off the results through Week 15.

When looking at the standings, the Steelers actually have the last pick of four teams who are all currently at 7–7. If these teams were to win a game and the Steelers were not, obviously the Steelers draft position improves. But more than that, there are three more teams who are only one game behind the Steelers and they go all the way up to pick at number 10 in the NFL draft.

So to look at it optimistically from a draft standpoint, the Steelers are only one game away from potentially having a top-10 draft pick.

If you’re a fan who has written off the 2023 NFL season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, chances are a higher draft pick for April is much more meaningful than winning a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

So there are three reasons why the outcome of Saturday’s game means something to Steelers fans. Of course, there are plenty more reasons that could be listed. For those who care about the Steelers not having a losing record streak (which I feel many fans don’t actually care about), that could be another reason. Beating an AFC North team regardless of the circumstances is yet another. Having the Steelers lose more games so they’re more apt to clean house after 2023 is another. So obviously there are more things that could be discussed. But for now, these are the three that I have outlined for this week.

So what is more important to you when it comes to the outcome of Saturday’s game? Are you one who’s looking for the Steelers to make the playoffs? Or are you someone who is looking for the best possible draft pick? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.