If Mitch Trubisky had played like this at the beginning of the regular season, he would still be the starting quarterback. And if the Steelers had played like this on Dec. 11 against the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium, they would still be in the thick of the playoff race. But as the saying goes every year at this time: “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, everyone would have a Merry Christmas.”
With the wouldas and couldas out of the way, a quick return to reality shows the Steelers are now 6-8 following their 24-16 victory over Carolina on Dec. 18 at Bank of America Stadium, a win that had Trubisky’s fingerprints all over it, a win that was keyed by a run defense that allowed 21 yards on 16 attempts to an opponent that had rushed for 223, 185, and 232 yards in three of its previous four games, a win where the Steelers were the foot doing the kicking one week after
