It’s obvious the Pittsburgh Steelers got an enormous amount of help to qualify for the playoffs Sunday.
From the Jacksonville Jaguars’ massive upset of the Indianapolis Colts to the Chargers and Raiders avoiding a tie on “Sunday Night Football” to the Baltimore Ravens gifting the Steelers three turnovers.
But as Mark Madden put it in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, the amount of help the Raiders provided by kicking their game-winning field goal to avoid a tie in overtime and eliminate the Chargers was above and beyond what was expected.
DANIEL CARLSON FOR THE WIN.
What a way to end the 2021 season! #LACvsLV #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/LpERrW7WQ6
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
Yes, even beyond what Jacksonville did. And Madden’s reason for that opinion is simple: the Raiders put themselves at risk by kicking that field goal.
“I think the Raiders did themselves a grave disservice by kicking to win the game at the death of overtime,” Madden said. “There was no reason to do that. You could get that kick blocked. It could come back the other way. If you take a knee, you make the playoffs for sure. But if they take a knee, I suppose all hell breaks loose. It would not be good for appearances.”
But as Madden said, good fortune in any form was the order of the day for the Steelers.
“The Steelers got lucky so many times all day Sunday, it beggars belief,” Madden continued.
Because of that, Madden doesn’t see a lot of accomplishment attached to the Steelers qualifying for the NFL playoffs.
“I don’t think the Steelers are any good … still,” Madden said. “I don’t think making the playoffs confirms that. They still haven’t beaten a good team having a good day. … It flatters to deceive.”
Related: Mark Madden: Ben Roethlisberger willed the Steelers into the playoffs
Related: Tim Benz: Steelers-Raiders-Chargers drama raises questions about NFL ties, scheduling reform
And if the Steelers are one-and-done again after a return trip to Kansas City (after a 36-10 beatdown on Dec. 26), then have they progressed at all from last year?
No, they haven’t, seeing as how they at least won the division in 2020 to go along with 12 regular season wins.
“I don’t see how this game (in Kansas City on Sunday) goes well for the Steelers,” Madden said. “Which means making (the playoffs) did the Steelers no good. But if you want to get down on the corny side of the street, Ben Roethlisberger gets to play his last game as a playoff game, even if he does lose by 30.”
Madden and I also talk about how the Steelers managed victory over the Ravens, the ripple effects of the Jaguars win over Indianapolis, what the NFL should do with overtime and the end of the Penguins’ winning streak.
Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden talk about the Steelers-Ravens game, the playoffs and the Penguins
