Category: 2024 NFL playoffs

Kenny Pickett gets the last laugh? Ex-Steelers QB heads to Super Bowl

Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is headed to the Super Bowl with the Eagles, a chance at a ring after the Steelers traded him away.

When Kenny Pickett was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, many fans hoped the former Pitt Panther would lead the Steel City to its seventh Super Bowl championship.

Those dreams were completely dashed when he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason. While the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to make those dreams a reality with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields in 2025, Pickett will have the opportunity to play on football’s grandest stage before either of them with his new team.

The Eagles dominated the Commanders 55-23 in the 2024 NFC Championship Game, giving Pickett the chance to back up QB Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The situation is arguably bittersweet. Pickett’s time in Pittsburgh ended before he could prove himself, but now he’s headed to Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles. If he walks away with a ring, it’ll be hard not to wonder if he got the last laugh after the Steelers’ first-round playoff exit in 2024.

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Cam Heyward on why Steelers struggle to win playoff games

Cam Heyward isn’t holding back on the Steelers’ playoff struggles, calling out slow starts after another early exit.

Cam Heyward has truly turned back the clock in 2024, but it likely means very little to the Pittsburgh Steelers defender, as the team has once again failed to win when it matters most—in the playoffs.

The veteran defender sympathizes with Steelers fans and is equally frustrated himself, as evident when discussing the team’s playoff woes on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.

Heyward explained exactly why the team continues to struggle early in these playoff contests:

“Defense is not getting off the field—not getting three-and-outs. Offense not scoring any points.”

Touching specifically on the loss to the Ravens, Heyward continued to rip into the team’s performance:

“I thought the offense came out in the second half and played a lot better, but it was a hole that was dug pretty deep.”

There is no sugarcoating it—the Pittsburgh Steelers are a terrible first-half football team.

While it’s a start that the veteran DT is addressing the slow starts, but the bigger question remains on how to correct it—and hopefully it is answered in time for Heyward to win his Super Bowl before retirement.

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Nightmare scenario to stare Steelers in the face with loss to Bengals

A nightmare scenario awaits the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 NFL playoffs if their downward trajectory continues. 

After dropping the last three games, even the most ardent Pittsburgh Steelers fans are weary of their team’s imminent future. A nightmare scenario awaits the Black and Gold if their downward trajectory continues.

Riding a four-game win streak (second only to the Kansas City Chiefs’ six), their forthcoming Cincinnati Bengals opponent got hot at the right time. And the Steelers went cold at the wrong time.

Fans pointing to Pittsburgh’s Week 13 victory over the Bengals in enemy territory need to rethink their argument. At that time, the Steelers had a top-ranked defense that has struggled mightily since.

The Bengals offense, led by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, are lighting it up. The unit is first in the NFL in total passing yards and yards per game. The Steelers’ defense simply cannot keep up if they play as they have been recently.

A loss to Cincinnati, coupled with an all-but-guaranteed Los Angeles Chargers win over the Las Vegas Raiders, would give the Steelers the No. 6 seed heading into the playoffs. This nightmare scenario would send Pittsburgh back to Baltimore, the scene of the Week 16 34-17 crime. It’s tough to imagine the Steelers pulling off a first-round win, something they’ve failed to do in four opportunities since 2016.

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