The Pittsburgh Steelers enter a three-game homestand after a trip to the West Coast, where they beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-17 in Week 7. But with matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Green Bay Packers coming over the next three weeks, the 4-2 Steelers can look to cement themselves as AFC contenders with a strong few weeks. QB Kenny Pickett said during his press conference today that the next three weeks are huge for Pittsburgh, especially because it’ll give them an opportunity to play a complete game.
“Huge,” Pickett said via Steelers.com when asked about Pittsburgh’s upcoming slate. “We’re nowhere near where we need to be, and that’s good news when you’re winning and you’re steadily improving. But the most important thing is that you get the win. Haven’t had that full four-quarter game where we can say we played our best football. Loving that we’re home, in front of our fans, wanna go out there and get a big win for us. So I know we’re all gonna be ready to go.”
The Steelers have been able to stay within striking distance before the offense comes alive during the fourth quarter, but if the offense continues to struggle for most of the game, it’s going to be hard for the Steelers to be a legitimate contender. The offense, led by Pickett, has to show they can string a full game together. The return of WR Diontae Johnson should help matters, as Johnson looked ready to go on Sunday after missing four games. He finished with five receptions for 79 yards, and along with George Pickens, they should help Pickett and open up the Steelers passing attack.
The Steelers also have to look to get the ground game established, but running for three touchdowns against Los Angeles was a positive sign. With the offensive line also improving each week, the Steelers have a prime opportunity to set themselves ahead of the pack in a loaded AFC.
If the Steelers can beat Jacksonville on Sunday, there’s a real chance they can come out of the three-game swing at 3-0. They need to go at least 2-1, which would put them at 6-3 with a road date against the Cleveland Browns coming up in Week 11. Anything less than 2-1 is going to make the second half of the season an uphill climb for the Steelers, who will still have four divisional games remaining from Week 11 onward.
It’s going to be up to Pickett and the offense to continue to grow and put a full game together, while the defense has to look like the unit it has over its past two games and try to keep the opponent under 20 points. It’s going to be tough against Jacksonville, who have weapons all over the field in QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, and WRs Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, but Tennessee and Green Bay haven’t looked all that impressive offensively this year. It’s a prime opportunity for the Steelers, and they need to be able to take advantage of it.
