(Photo: DAZN)
AFC Wild Card
(7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills
Steelers: I need all the “Mike Tomlin needs to be fired” representatives to report here immediately. Once again, I ask you this question and will continue to ask you until I get my answer. If he were to get fired, who do you get to replace him and who is just as good as him because those will be humongous shoes to fill. Mike was hired in 2007 and in each season since he became their Head Coach, he’s never recorded a losing season which is extremely impressive. He’s one of the three best coaches in the league and I wouldn’t have an issue if you said he was the best. Usually when teams have a Hall of Fame caliber Quarterback, they struggle for a while after he retires. That hasn’t been the case in Pittsburgh with the Steelers because they have such a consistent system in place and will stay in one lane until the Quarterback is on the same page. They had three different starting Quarterbacks this year. They were Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. On any other team, those guys stand no chance of having any type of success. Until the Steelers can get that consistency at Quarterback, they must go back to the basics which is running the football, being a physical group and playing that stingy brand of defense they’re known for. T.J. Watt is the best defensive player on the planet and will more than likely win his second Defensive MVP award. It was tough seeing him go down with that knee injury and the difference is day and night with him on the field compared to without him. In a competitive AFC North race, they won ten games and because of the Jaguars fumbling in week 18, they are back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season. They will kick off the Sunday slate of games in Orchard Park, New York.
Bills: At one point during the regular season, this was a bleak possibility. There was a time when they were skating along the .500 mark and you thought they were done. After the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they were 6-6 and on the outside looking in. The mindset is simple. Just win one and go from there and that’s exactly what happened. If they don’t win that game in Kansas City on December 10th, they’re finished. That was their best performance of the season and I say that because when their backs were against the wall, they delivered and since then, they’ve won every game. The Bills are AFC East champions for the fourth consecutive season. They did look shaky on Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins, I’ll say that much. Josh Allen threw two awful interceptions and the Dolphins were establishing their speed. Once the second half came around, Buffalo made those key adjustments. They punched Miami in the mouth and on the offensive side, they were more balanced and Josh settled in and let the game come to him. I’ll say this. If Ken Dorsey is still their Offensive Coordinator, they are not in this position and with the promotion of Joe Brady, I feel this team is more equipped to make a run in the playoffs because they’re making it an effort to run the ball some more, they spread the ball around in the passing game and Josh isn’t playing hero ball where he feels he doesn’t have to do everything. This Sunday, they return home as the two seed in the AFC and will welcome the Steelers to town.
Steelers X-Factor: Alex Highsmith– With T.J. Watt expected to miss this game with a knee injury, this is who the pressure falls on. Alex and T.J. have formed one of the best defensive tandems in the league this year. I can always appreciate a EDGE guy as a former Defensive End myself and he has one of the best spin moves I’ve seen since the Dwight Freeney days in Indianapolis. Alex comes around that edge with speed and power every time the ball is snapped. If there were ever a time for him to step it up, it’ll be on Sunday afternoon.
Bills X-Factor: Khalil Shakir– I like the dynamic this kid brings to the Buffalo offense. Khalil has emerged as another weapon in the passing game for Josh. He may not be the biggest guy, but he knows how to position himself down the field to make a catch when the team needs it. Khalil can run the seams, work the flat, make the catch in traffic over the middle and he moves well with the football in his hands. I’m happy to see the Bills utilizing him more in the offense. Khalil is a playmaker that can make a difference when given the opportunity.
Final Thoughts: I hope the Jacksonville Jaguars are watching this one. Because of their loss on Sunday to the Titans, both of these teams were able to clinch playoff spots and it’s ironic that they are facing one another. The Bills are the most frustrating team in the league at times because they have moments when they play down to competition or they struggle. Josh must take better care of the ball and make smarter decisions with the ball if the Bills are going to make a run in the postseason. Also, this is the last defense you want to turn the ball over too because they are so opportunistic as a group. The Steelers must get the ball in hands of both Najee Harris and George Pickens as these are your two best playmakers on offense. It could be a long day at the office for the Steelers defense who will be without T.J. Watt. Having your best player during this time makes all the difference in the world. The Bills have won their last three playoff games at home and I’m picking them to win a fourth on Sunday afternoon.
Prediction: Bills 31, Steelers 17
