Making the playoffs, a success?

Considering the injuries/suspensions/Michael Vick.do you feel just making the playoffs is a success?
I've heard the saying being thrown around on SNR that we're playing with "house money".

 

Yes.

The end goal, always, is (winning) the Super Bowl, but making the playoffs is a success in my book, especially with the adversity we faced this year. I won't be happy if we lose, but we're better than most teams and we have hope every year that we can pull something off.

 

This is pretty much how I feel.

 

Yep. The only way to get to the Super Bowl is through the playoffs.

 

yup even if we go one and done, im still glad we made it. like others say, no chance of superbowl with no playoffs.

 

No. When you have the weapons we do, simply making the playoffs isn't good enough. Does that make me spoiled? Probably, but with the weapons we have, i honestly expect to have a true contending team most years. Just like Packers fans, Broncos fans, Seahawks fans, Pats fans, etc. When you have a franchise QB, you need to be able to contend every year and if you don't, it's not a successful year. The Packers are in the playoffs, but if they lose to the Skins, do you think their fans will consider the season a success?

The goal is to win it all, not just make it to the playoffs. For a Browns fans, the playoffs is the goal. For Steelers fans, the Superbowl is the goal. At the very least, I expect a playoff win or two every couple years with a shot at the title every 10 years or so.

 

Yes. Especially with the injuries and suspensions this season.
There are 20 other teams that didn't make it!

 

Right. But the point is more that a lot of those weapons haven't been available to us for the whole season. I take your point, though.

There's one main reason why I think getting to the play offs is a success this year - because on our day, we can beat anyone. Consistency is never our thing of late, but this team is better equipped for play off football than for going 16-0 in the regular season.

 

Almost word for word what I was going to post. I had high hopes at the beginning of the year, even with Bell's initial suspension, but considering all of the injuries, not to mention early kicker problems, I think making it to the playoffs is a big success.

 

Making the playoffs is a success but now that we're in I would like to see us make a little noise. If we play really well and lose so be it,it might only take me a week to get over it. If we play like crap ,beat ourselves and lose I will be pissed. I'm not sure I look at it as house money when you have a franchise QB going up against basically a rookie. If we had L.Bell in the playoffs it would be a huge disappointment if we lost because I feel he takes us to another level...there would be no excuses.
Maybe it's because I thought we blew our chances two weeks ago but I was mentally preparing myself that we weren't even gonna make it in. Now that we're here it's time to throw all caution into the wind and definitely " not live in our fears" except for when it comes to Blake,,,,,that is just terrifying.

 

I think the season has been a success based on the obstacles we have been faced with, but I also believe that we underachieved against expectations. How the injuries affected those expectations is where the line is hard to draw. I am not satisfied with this talent only reaching the playoffs from the offensive side of the ball, but on D we should be overjoyed. In a pass happy league we have a HORRIBLE pass defense and somehow still won 10 games. We have games we lost and shouldn't have which disappoints me based on performance, but I also know that we fought a ton of adversity this year. How good could this offense have been without the injuries to Ben and Bell and Pouncey? If we can get some improvement from the D in the offseason, this team could be primed next year to do very good things with a very favorable travel schedule next year. I am excited about our direction.

 

We've lost a lot of weapons in Bell and Williams... plus Bryant has regressed since the bye week. One could argue that Pouncey and Beachum were valuable weapons, too. I'm not making excuses, but the offense is clearly not as explosive and consistent when Bryant is dropping 2 out of 3 passes that go his way.

The talking heads at ESPN and NFL Network tend to overrate the Steelers offense.

 

House money is an understatement. It's been a rollercoaster season with a lot of obstacles. Without a Bills win we all would be singing a different tune.

Whatever transpires this season, upgrades need to be made on Defense next season.

Now let's see them humiliate the bungles!

 

No, I want at least a single playoff WIN. Just "making" the cut.... doesn't cut if for me. I expect more.

 

Missing the playoffs would have been determined a very unsuccessful season and most of us would be screaming FMTI all over these boards so therefore yes, just making the playoffs is a success especially with all the adversity this team has gone thru this season. Now that we're in the Post season let's go win it all!

 

But the regular season is now over so past injuries/suspensions no longer matter. We're in the playoffs, so now I expect us to beat the Bengals. Brown, Bryant, Wheaton, Dwill (possibly), Ben, Heath, many high draft picks on the Oline and Dline/LB'ers. We have a lot of talent and a lot of weapons currently playing for us.

 

I think this is kind of where I'm at. I was pleased we're in the play offs as a round off to the regular season. Now we're in, I'll be disappointed if we get knocked out. The post-season sets new criteria for success.

 

Unfortunately some of those injuries/ suspensions are still going to affect us in the playoffs.
Those injuries / suspensions affected our win/loss totals which affected our seating in the playoffs which in return can affect our success in the playoffs.

With that said all the teams in the AFC are beatable this year and I fully expect us to beat the Bengals and I will be somewhat disappointed if we don't but it won't be something I have a hard time getting over.

 

Yes given the circumstances I'm surprised we made it.
I was even more surprised after this last Sunday, which I thought the Steelers royally screwed themselves.
I really wish we weren't getting the press we are getting, as the team no one wants to play etc.
I think we play the underdog get no respect roll better.

 

Well the sports media dropped that line that they were (the team nobody wanted to play) after they laid an egg in baltimore and then struggled against cleveland this week, I dont think anybody expects them to blow out cincy saturday, in fact it could be the other way around, or it could be a repeat of our first 16-10 loss against cincy at home......

 

I guess it can be viewed as a success. Maybe the old adage is true sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

 

Getting into the playoffs on your own without help and winning the Superbowl is success.