Steelers to face Bills in Wild Card matchup on Sunday in Buffalo
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it into the NFL's postseason and will be squaring off with the Buffalo Bills next weekend in the Wild Card round.
The Steelers took care of their own business this weekend, beating the Ravens on the road in Baltimore. They also got the help they needed as the Tennessee Titans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, opening the door for Pittsburgh to get into the playoffs.
In the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Bills and the Dolphins, the Bills came out on top, setting up next week's Wild Card matchup in Buffalo.
Early betting lines show the #7 seed Steelers listed as nearly 10-point underdogs for the game against the #2 seed Bills.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Highmark Stadium on Sunday and you can catch the game on KDKA-TV.
Who will be the starting quarterback?
Mason Rudolph has led the Steelers to three straight wins and a playoff berth. It's unclear whether the team will stick with Rudolph or if there is a chance they will go back to Kenny Pickett, who was sidelined with injury before being cleared to return.
Pickett backed up Rudolph on Saturday in Baltimore.
Will T.J. Watt be able to play?
Whether or not the Steelers have their star linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year candidate in T.J. Watt for the playoff game in Buffalo is still up in the air.
Watt left Saturday's game against the Ravens with an injury and early reports suggest that he's dealing with an MCL sprain.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin will hold his weekly press conference on Tuesday and will perhaps provide more clarity to the situation and Watt's potential availability then.
Getting a boost in the secondary
While T.J. Watt's status is up in the air, the team will be getting a boost in the secondary with the return of safety Damontae Kazee.
Kazee was suspended for the remainder of the regular season following a violent hit on Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. during the team's game in Indianapolis in Week 16.
Kazee was ejected from the game before he was suspended for the rest of the season. He appealed the suspension, but it was upheld by the league.
Elsewhere in the AFC playoffs
The Baltimore Ravens earned the #1 seed and have a bye.
#4 seed Houston Texans will host #5 Cleveland Browns on Saturday afternoon.
#3 Kansas City Chiefs will host #6 Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.
How the Steelers bounced back to make the postseason
The Steelers' qualifying for the playoffs wasn't an easy road, with their odds of getting into the postseason being as low as 5% just a few weeks ago, sitting with a 7-7 record heading into Week 16.
The team found its footing on the offensive side of the football with Mason Rudolph taking the reins at quarterback, winning three straight games against Cincinnati, Seattle, and Baltimore.
Rudolph took over at quarterback after the team's dismal start to the month of December where they dropped three straight games against the Cardinals, Patriots, and Colts.
Two of those losses came at home against teams who only had two wins each.
When Rudolph took over for the team's Christmas Eve weekend matchup with the Bengals, winning out was their only path to a possible postseason spot, and they did just that.
In the three games that Rudolph started for the Steelers, the team's offense found ways to score that seemed impossible for long stretches of the season -- one that resulted in offensive coordinator Matt Canada being fired near the midway point.
With the Bengals in town from Cincinnati, Rudolph passed for 290 yards, linking up with George Pickens for two touchdowns in a 34-11 win.
On the road in the Pacific Northwest, the Steelers beat the Seahawks in Seattle for the first time since 1983 as the team's two-headed rushing attack pounded the football with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combining for 202 yards. Rudolph added 275 yards in the air in the 30-23 win.
Lastly, in less than desirable weather conditions, the Steelers pulled out a 17-10 win over the Ravens in Baltimore with another ground and pound game from Harris, who ran for 112 yards and a touchdown.
