Following a third consecutive defeat in Indianapolis on December 16th, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave every indication they would close out their 2023 regular season as a team in disarray, with nothing beyond question marks visible on the road ahead. But in the afterglow of their third consecutive win in a waterlogged season finale at Baltimore, Mason Rudolph and his teammates delivered a clear statement. Regardless of whether they secured the Wild Card berth (confirmed the following day when the Titans upset the Jaguars), the Black-and-gold had done everything humanly possible to dodge the fate of finishing this season as merely one more anonymous member in the pack of playoff pretenders.

After the incomparable Derrick Henry led the Tennessee Titans to a 28-20 victory — rambling around and through the Jaguars defense for 153 yards — the word “playoffs” suddenly switched from the realm of fantasy to reality for Steelers Nation. No matter what happens next Sunday in Buffalo, Steelers Nation will embark on the long offseason with a mindset which seemed quite impossible as recently as three weeks ago.

Whatever else Mason Rudolph accomplishes in his NFL career, he has demonstrated the difference that sound quarterbacking makes for the Steelers. This is nothing less than the distinction between being a playoff team in January or contemplating one’s prospects between rounds of golf in Florida or Hawaii. Besides affirming Rudolph’s capabilities — not only as a viable backup but potentially as a franchise QB — his trio of gritty performances opens the door equally for Kenny Pickett to step forward and realize his own potential.

Moving ahead, it’s the under-the-radar changes on the Pittsburgh Steelers this season which might prove to be the most consequential. The team’s current winning streak and 10-7 record would scarcely be possible without the emergence of a group of unlikely and largely unsung players who have shown that the NFL’s big stage isn’t beyond their capabilities. This includes rookies such as Broderick Jones, Keeanu Benton, Joey Porter Jr., Darnell Washington and Nick Herbig — as well as second-year players Jaylen Warren, Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Mark Robinson and Connor Heyward. While this group is still learning the NFL ropes, the progress they’ve made during the course of this season bodes quite well for the team’s future.

Likewise, the role of veterans stepping up to fill key positions has been crucial. Players including Elandon Roberts, Myles Jack, Patrick Peterson, Eric Rowe, Isaac Seumalo, Mykal Walker, Markus Golden and Miles Killebrew have made key contributions during the team’s late-season surge. This combination of precocious youth and veteran talent represents a solid foundation for further improvement of the Steelers as they continue building through the NFL Draft in 2024 and beyond.

As excitement builds to a fever pitch during the current week, it’s tempting to overlook the significant growth this team has experienced during the 2023 regular season. Win or lose in Buffalo on Sunday, any notion that the Steelers must embark on full-scale housecleaning during the offseason now appears misguided. The most important reality emerging during the past three weeks is that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t nearly as far from the status of serious contenders as many have suspected. And for all of his detractors, Head Coach Mike Tomlin continues to demonstrate his capabilities for making on-the-fly adjustments and preparing his team to respond in games that matter.

Whether this still-developing team has enough fuel left in the tank to advance in the playoffs remains to be determined. But regardless of how their season ends, the Steelers and their remarkable fans will embark on the offseason with heads held high on the wings of renewed confidence about the future. Born as it was of Franco’s Immaculate Reception two days before Christmas of 1972, this capacity to turn around what seems like a hopeless situation represents the very essence of Steelers Football. Paying tribute to this proud tradition, the 2023 Steelers already have succeeded in reversing the despair of mid-December to the current attitude of hopeful expectation.