Knicky Nelson was dressed head to toe in Pittsburgh Steelers gear, but that didn’t stop her from perusing the merchandise at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Waterworks on Monday in search of a deal.
Nelson was still smiling from the Steelers’ improbable, heart-stopping 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The victory clinched the Steelers’ first AFC North Division title since 2020 and propelled them into an AFC Wild Card matchup against the Houston Texans on Monday at Acrisure Stadium.
“It’s always a nail-biter,” said Nelson, of Penn Hills. “I thank God we pulled it off.”
That seemed to be the collective mantra around Western Pennsylvania on Monday, as football fans exhaled after what has been a chaotic couple of weeks. What started with a Motor City Miracle against the Detroit Lions and then the Heartache by the Lake against the Cleveland Browns culminated with arguably the most mind-bending turn of events against the Ravens.
The Steelers fell behind 10-0 and came away with no points on the final play of the first half despite having the ball at the 1-yard line. The lead changed hands four times over the final nine minutes. The Ravens had an opportunity to win it with a 44-yard field goal, but the attempt sailed wide right as time expired.
The victory sends the Steelers to the NFL playoffs, where they’ll look to snap a five-game postseason losing streak. The team hasn’t won a playoff game since January 2017.
“I didn’t think we were gonna win,” said Unity Robinson, of Virginia Beach, Va., as she took a timeout from shopping at Monroeville Mall. “I was actually pretty surprised.”
Robinson bought tickets to the Ravens game as a one-year anniversary gift to her husband, Andrew Robinson, a Pittsburgh native.
“The fact that we won and it was such a nail-biting, high-energy game was pretty crazy,” she said.
Kelly Mazon of Delmont watched the matchup from home and nearly turned off the television during the game. She ultimately hung in to see the win, and said she wasn’t surprised to see a matchup against Baltimore go down to the wire.
“It’s the rivalry,” she said. “No matter what level of sports, pro, high school, college … there is just more on the line than the win.”
Andrew Robinson said he was hopeful but prepared for any outcome heading into the game. He said he carries similar optimism for the playoff game against the Texans.
“I think we can hold their offense with our defense, but now we have to actually get points on the board,” he said. “I think that’s going to be a struggle against the Texans defense, unless the (Steelers’) offense can move how they were moving yesterday.”
The Texans defense finished the regular season allowing the fewest yards per game in the NFL and the second-fewest points per game.
Andrew Robinson said the addition of wide receiver DK Metcalf, who is returning to the Steelers’ lineup after a two-game suspension, will bode well for the Black and Gold.
“I think we can do it,” he said. “Maybe some other Steelers fans aren’t as positive, but I think we can pull it off.”
Mazon is approaching the playoffs with less pessimism than the rest of her family.
“My husband and son are not as optimistic,” she said. “But it’s no fun going into it thinking they’re going to lose.”
Silas Currie of Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood said he’s putting his faith in quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
He called Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown “crazy,” describing the fourth-quarter maelstrom as “too much.”
As he eyed the Terrible Towels on his way out of the Dick’s store at the Waterworks, he said he thought the Steelers could make a run at the Super Bowl as long as everyone stays healthy.
In that case, he said, he’d be back in a couple of weeks.
