It isn't the scenario they had hoped for, but it's what it is and the scenario they are faced with.
There is only one way for the Steelers to get in the playoffs. It's by getting help from others.
"I know we are going to need a little bit of help, but we have to get going," said Cam Heyward.
Yes, there are multiple scenarios where the team can make the postseason, but the one steady in all of it is they need help from other teams.
And it's the scenario they didn't want to have to deal with. Had the Steelers defeated the Jets, they would have been in control, just having to win. Now, they need some help.
"It sucks to have your playoff hopes in the hands of somebody else when you can just go ahead and solidify that," said James Washington. "That's just football. You just have to own up to it and come back next week."
The easiest road to the playoffs is for the Steelers to win on Sunday against the Ravens and the Titans to lose to the Texans. If that happens, they are in.
"Man, we're done worrying about what other people are doing," said T.J. Watt. "It's time to, and its been the whole season, time to focus on us and figure stuff out and find ways to win football games. I'm proud of some of the things we've been able to do, but it's not enough. We have to go back to the film and get those things corrected as quickly as possible and move on. We have to put our whole energy into winning this football game. There's a lot of really good film to watch from this game, some good and some bad.
"It's just a matter of being able to move on. It's the National Football League. You have to have a short memory."
While the team might not have being in control on their side, the one thing they do have is confidence in each other.
"This is the Pittsburgh Steelers. We love everybody in the locker room," said Watt. "We believe in everybody in the locker room. It's just a matter of putting together a complete game.
"I love all of those guys in the locker room. I see them work. I see everything behind the scenes that a lot of people don't have the luxury of seeing. Everybody is working their tails off to win football games. I can promise you that. We're going to get back in the lab. I trust every guy in that locker room and we're going to perform."
Scenarios:
- PIT win + TEN loss/tie
- PIT tie + TEN loss
- PIT loss + TEN loss + IND win + OAK loss/tie OR
- TEN loss + IND win + PIT ties OAK in strength-of-victory tiebreaker ^
^ PIT ties OAK in strength-of-victory tiebreaker if ALL of the following teams win: MIN, GB, KC AND MIA
