Now That The Playoffs Are Gone, It Is Time for the Steelers to Play Spoiler

After winning Super Bowl XL, the Steelers became the first team to win the Super Bowl and not make the playoffs the following year in almost 10 years. The best thing that happened in 2006 was, in the last game of the year, knocking the Cincinnati Bengals out of the playoffs in overtime of the last game of the year.

After winning Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers again will not make the playoffs and once again, have the chance to bring tears to other teams as they did to the Bengals in 2006.

In week 15, the Steelers will host the Green Bay Packers. The Packers will not be able to pass the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North. In the battle of the NFC Wild Card, the Steelers can flatten the tires of the Packers by beating them at Heinz Field.

The following week, the Baltimore Ravens will visit Heinz Field. Baltimore is fighting to return to the playoffs and a loss to the Steelers will all but end their playoff hopes. When the Ravens hosted the Steelers a couple weeks ago, the Steelers were playing without some of their best players. Regardless of who was playing, it took the Ravens over time to beat the Steelers and Pittsburgh is looking to be the team to put the final nail in the Ravens coffin.

In week 17, the Steelers travel to Miami to play the Dolphins. Miami is in the middle of a battle with the New England Patriots and New York Jets, for the AFC East Championship. Come the last week of the season, a loss to the Steelers could cost the Dolphins not only their second AFC East championship in a row, but it COULD knock them out of the playoffs as well.

Once the playoffs start, once a team loses, their season is over. Even though the Steelers season is already over, the next three weeks the Steelers have the chance to end the season of three teams that are fighting for the playoff spot.

So, even though they have no chance of winning their seventh Lombardi Trophy, the Steelers still have the chance to ruin it for other teams as well.