Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson have surprised the NFL by leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 10-3 record and a two-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North.
Before the season, almost no one expected the team to win more than eight or nine games. However, in a remarkable achievement, Tomlin has the team on the verge of the playoffs. Undoubtedly, the key move was capitalizing on Justin Fields’ strong start and then taking the offense to another level with Wilson.
Despite this, the Steelers are far from being able to approach the final stretch of the schedule with ease, especially considering that, in a highly controversial decision by the NFL, they have three games in a span of just 11 days. A huge obstacle toward a possible Super Bowl.
What is the Steelers’ next rival?
The Steelers will face the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday, and then things get more complicated. On Saturday, December 21, they have to visit the Baltimore Ravens, and on Christmas Day, they will play against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mike Tomlin was questioned by reporters about whether this gauntlet would lead him to change his approach to protect players from potential injuries. The head coach was firm in his response.
see also
NFL News: Russell Wilson has chosen his team for next season after stint with Mike Tomlin and Steelers
“I’m really just focused on Philadelphia. I don’t care what’s on the other side of it. It may affect the approach on the other side of Philadelphia (after game with Eagles), but I have a 7-day cycle this week. So, I’m not going to make the simple complex. We got a task this week. We got a job to do. We got a finite amount of time and material and talent. We’re going to focus our energies on winning this game. It’s fruitless and almost a waste of time to get beyond the template component. The Philadelphia Eagles have my attention.”
