Well, I don't live IN the city of Pittsburgh anymore, so I can't say firsthand. But I do know that Steelers fans are beyond pissed that the Colts rolled over yesterday. That was BIG in the grand scheme of things for the Steelers playoff picture. Had Indy won that game, most of us fans would be feeling pretty good going into the final week, where all we would have needed is for a superior Pats to beat an inferior Texans team. There would still be motivation for the Pats to win, to secure the #3 seed, and things would be looking good for us. Now, we need TWO losses. One of which is NOW the late game, where the Bengals might not have any REASON to beat the Jets.
You're right to some extent too, because a LOT of articles etc. had the scenerios wrong going into week 16. Most people weren't too concerned with the Texans, which has turned out to be one of the most crucial steps toward seeing the postseason.
That being said, most of us Pittsburgh fans are pretty realistic. While we HOPE for a playoff spot, we realize that we aren't really that deserving of one. I mean, just ONE win over CHI, OAK, CLE, or KC and we wouldn't be in this predicament. Those are all teams we should have put away easily.
I think the general mentality is "Expect the worse, but hope for the best." I think that's a pretty fair attitude, given the circumstances.