Even though Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had been chosen for the Pro Bowl four times previously, his fifth selection still came as a surprise to the former Alabama All-American.

When the NFL announced the Pro Bowl Games teams for the 2024 season on Thursday, Fitzpatrick held the free-safety spot on the AFC roster.

“Yeah, to be honest,” Fitzpatrick said on Thursday when asked if the announcement of the accolade had caught him off-guard. “I’m going to keep it real. Like I said, it hasn’t been my splashiest year. I’ve been backing the coach and doing my job for the most part, so, yeah, I was surprised. But I’m also honored.”

In the three seasons that he’s been chosen as first-team All-Pro, Fitzpatrick intercepted 15 passes. This season, Fitzpatrick has one interception, but his 60 solo tackles are his most since 2021.

“I mean it’s just part of doing your job,” Fitzpatrick said. “Not everybody’s job is going to be the most fun. You know what I’m saying? There’s a lot of other things on the field that I wouldn’t want to be doing. I’m happy to be out there. I’m happy to be a part of Steelers defense.”

But the Steelers defense has been in a tailspin as the team lost its grip on first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh ranks seventh in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed in the 2024 season. But over the past three weeks, quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes have led offenses that have piled up 90 points and 1,208 yards.

“I think teams are scheming us,” Fitzpatrick said. “They’re knowing that we’re having some issues with motions and stacks and points and stuff like that because if you look at the stuff that we’ve been beaten on and when guys are running open, it’s stuff that each team kind of got from the last two. So we’ve made a real big emphasis this week on those style of plays and even plays that can stem off from it and working on communication, everybody being on the same page and playing field.”

The three consecutive losses have left Pittsburgh a game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North standings entering the final weekend of the regular season. The Steelers still have an opportunity to earn the first-round home game that goes to the division’s top team. But for that to happen, Pittsburgh must beat the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore must lose to the Cleveland Browns. Otherwise, the Steelers will enter the postseason as a wild-card team and start the postseason on the road.

The Steelers will kick off against the Bengals at 7 p.m. CST Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh knowing if they have a chance to play at home next week. The Browns and Ravens play at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fitzpatrick doesn’t expect Cincinnati to do much scheming in an attempt to get the better of Pittsburgh’s defense. The Bengals have the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense, and quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 44-38 loss to the Steelers on Dec. 1.

“They have a really solid identity on offense,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t think they’re going to change. They’ve been putting up 30-plus points a game. When you’re doing that, you’re not going to change too much. …They rely on Joey B, their receivers, to make plays with his legs, with his arm. They depend on (wide receiver Ja’Marr) Chase to get a lot of touches, get a lot of YAC. They have a lot of weapons.”