Exclusive: Steelers prefer to ignore odds, history against them as underdog No. 7 seed vs. Bills
Damontae Kazee’s locker is two slows down over from Levi Wallace’s at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Kazee apparently was staying out of other people’s affairs while a five-minute meeting was being led among Wallace and a couple of media individuals after the last act of this previous week.
There was no great explanation to accept Kazee actually might hear what was being said, not to mention be focusing. However, it became clear that Kazee was receptive as soon as the hot-button issue of the betting line on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff opener was brought up.
Wallace, a Steelers veteran cornerback, was gotten some information about remaining sure in spite of being selected as 10-point dark horses for the impending trump card round season finisher game at the Bison Bills.
Wallace started his response, “I haven’t heard anybody discussing us being longshots,” previously, unexpectedly, from 8 feet away, Kazee shouted out the finish of the response:
“Since we couldn’t care less!”
It provided a telling insight into the Steelers’ mentality, as they maintained a air of confidence despite being ranked No. 7. 7 seed that squeaked into the end of the season games on the normal season’s last day.
They face the Bills (11-6), a group that has come out on top for four back to back AFC East championships at 4:30 p.m. Monday. In their most recent meeting, Buffalo defeated the Steelers 38-3 in October 2022, their worst defeat in 17 years under Mike Tomlin.
The oddsmakers this end of the week have made the Steelers the longest shot on the board.
I didn’t actually realize we were,” quarterback Artisan Rudolph said for the current week. ” You know, they’re an incredible group and (bookmakers think about that) we’re playing out and about. Yet, I don’t focus on the spread. I’m not a speculator, but rather we realize we have a ton of trust in ourselves.”
The Steelers became the first team to win the 6 seed in NFL history to win the Super Bowl. On Monday, they could turn out to be only the second No. 7 seed to dominate a season finisher match. In three earlier seasons since the NFL added a seventh group from every gathering to its postseason in 2020, No. Seven seeds were 0-6.
The No. 1 goal was finally scored by the Green Bay Packers. 7s on Sunday evening, cruising to a 48-32 victory over NFC No. 2 Dallas.
“We disregard the clamor,” veteran inside linebacker Elandon Roberts said. ” We disregard the commotion and control what we have some control over in this storage space.”
Bison, strangely, presently has been the No. hosting the No. 2 seed 7 in the trump card round for three of the four seasons under the ebb and flow design. By a field goal, they prevailed in the postseason in 2020 and 2022. The solitary victory in the youthful history of AFC Nos. 2-versus 7 season finisher games came a long time back when the Bosses won 42-21 against the Steelers.
Kansas City was a 11 ½-point most loved that day.
Headed into Sunday’s down in Dallas, NFC No. 7 seeds had been winless and lost by a normal of 15.3 focuses with no game nearer than a 12-point edge of triumph for the No. 2.
It took 16 times of a six-groups per-gathering design for a No. 6 seed to even make it to the conference championship game before the 2005 Steelers won Super Bowl XL. That proposes it very well may be some time before a No. 7 seed goes on a comparable run.
It ought to shock no one that the Steelers are — by a wide margin — the longest shot on the leading group of fates wagers to win the Super Bowl. Starting around Sunday evening, bettors could get 125-to-1 chances. No other group had longer chances than 80-to-1.
We definitely understand what Kazee would agree that about that. Protected to say most of those the Steelers storage space share a comparative feeling.
“A ton of specialists have forever been off-base,” Wallace said, shrugging. ” Therefore, I am unsure of what makes them experts.
