The Steelers were left for dead after Ben Roethlisberger went down in Week 2 of the season. With an 0-2 record and Mason Rudolph at QB there wasn’t much in the way of hope. And at 1-3 with only a win over hapless Cincinnati, no one had changed their tune.
But then something happened. The Steelers stopped facing top teams in the NFL, and starting rolling off wins. After week 10 the Steelers had 4 losses, all to teams that have a combined record of 48-12 and have all clinched playoff berths, and either 2 or 3 of the 4 first round byes.