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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading to the playoffs. It just doesn't exactly feel like it -- or look like it -- heading into their regular-season finale against Cincinnati on Saturday night.
A three-game losing streak against the league's elite will do that.
Yet rather than dwell on what's gone wrong, quarterback Russell Wilson has another suggestion: practice a little selective amnesia.
"You've got to be able to just embrace the moment and be so addicted to the moment that nothing else gets in the way of it," Wilson said. "They focus on the next practice, the next meeting. And that level of obsession, that level of focus, that level of communication, that level of response, is everything. And that's what champions do."
That's been part of the problem for the Steelers (10-6), who have let plenty get in their way during a slide that's likely cost them a shot at the AFC North title, namely uncharacteristic mental lapses by a defense that have made a proud unit dotted with stars look vulnerable.
On that front, the surging Bengals (8-8) can relate. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and company look every bit as dangerous as most expected in August. Yet a horrific opening three months defensively forced Cincinnati to play catch-up in December. And for all of Burrow's brilliance, the Bengals need to beat the Steelers and then hope Denver and Miami lose on Sunday to reach the postseason.
It's why Burrow sort of shrugged when asked about the "MVP!" chants that rang out in the final minutes of a thrilling overtime win over Denver last week that kept Cincinnati's slim playoff hopes alive.
Yes, it was cool. And yes, he thinks he'll have a chance to win the league's most coveted award one day, just not this year. Why?
"Usually you've got to win your division," he said.
It's an opportunity the Bengals lost long ago. The Steelers appeared to be firmly in control of the North after consecutive wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland in early December, only to follow it up with three nationally televised pratfalls.
Now, their priority has shifted from winning the franchise's first division title since 2020 to playing like a playoff team before the postseason. The clock is ticking.
"We don't have time to run from adversity, we have time to run through it," Wilson said. "We've got to climb the wall. We've got to go run through it. There's no magic pill for getting around it."
Communication
breakdown
The Steelers are allowing more than 400 yards per game during their losing streak, and their frustration has bubbled over into public view.
Safety DeShon Elliott blamed the unit for making the kind of alignment mistakes that might be understandable in September, but not December. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith questioned whether some of his teammates have the "want-to" required to make a deep playoff run.