While Rich Eisen believes that the Steelers will make the postseason, he isn’t as confident that the team will fare too well in the AFC North. Eisen revealed his AFC North predictions today, and had the Steelers coming in third.
“I think the Cleveland Browns will finish in fourth place as well. I think they’re in last, and not indicative of their step up they might actually make, but, number three on this list, you know I’ve been very high on the Steelers, I put the Steelers third, I have the Ravens second,” Eisen said.
He put the Bengals in first but noted there’s concern over Joe Burrow’s calf injury. Eisen said that they’re still the team to beat in the division, though.
He concluded by saying that he thinks the top three teams, which include Pittsburgh, will make the playoffs.
“I think the top three teams make the playoffs. I think three come out of there, two comes out of the [AFC] East, and one out of the [AFC] South and [AFC] West.”
The AFC North and AFC East are the two strongest divisions in the conference, with any combination of those eight teams being able to make the playoffs. Obviously, with only three wild cards, not everyone will get in, but it’s a safe bet that five of the eight teams between those two divisions should make it.
The Bengals are a predictable choice by Eisen to win the division, given they’ve won it two years in a row and haven’t really changed much. The addition of Orlando Brown Jr. gives their offensive line a major boost, while the Ravens are looking to improve their offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. If they do so, they should be a playoff-caliber team.
Pittsburgh should compete at the top of the division if they’re able to improve their offense from last season, and the offense under QB Kenny Pickett showed they’re capable of being more explosive throughout the preseason. Their defense, led by Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt, should be at it’s usual standard, and the Steelers are always competitive against their division rivals.
Eisen’s co-host Chris Brockman had the Steelers winning the division, something that NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes they’re also capable of doing. It will be a success if the Steelers are able to grind it out and win the division, but they’ll have to translate the regular season success into postseason success, and that pressure will be greater if they win the AFC North.
Either way, the Steelers should be a playoff team in 2023. No matter where they finish in the division, what’s going to matter is what they do in January. This is a team hungry to win a playoff game, and this is the year for them to make it happen.
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