Say what you will about Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they always find ways to surprise everyone. Now, that could come in the form of a devastating loss to a team that looks like they should barely be in the NFL, but it could also appear in the form of the Steelers bouncing back from that kind of loss and making a run at the playoffs. The past few years have proven that injuries won’t stop the Steelers from competing, and Tomlin never has any intentions of hitting rock bottom. Despite that reputation, one ESPN analyst still believes the Steelers will fall short of nine wins in 2024, which would be Tomlin’s first losing season.
Erin Kate Dolan is a betting analyst for ESPN, and during a recent appearance on SportsCenter, she explained why she is betting on the Steelers to go under their projected 8.5-win total.
“This schedule is going to be daunting for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Dolan said. “Yes, last year we saw them end with 10 wins, and that was great. They went 5-1 in the division, but I do think Cleveland and the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be much healthier this season. And it’s not even that, look at this schedule. The last eight weeks, they’re gonna play Baltimore twice, Cleveland twice, Cincinnati twice, and you sandwich in there they’re gonna have to play at Philadelphia, and they’re gonna have to face the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a very difficult schedule, and one that I think is going to be incredibly difficult to get nine wins.”
Since the schedule was revealed, many experts and fans have stated that the Steelers could be facing their first losing season in almost 20 years. It’s a fair point to make, if a little presumptuous at this point. It’s July, and no one has any idea what any team is going to look like come December, or even November or October. Injuries are inevitable, and some players or teams may be better or worse than we believe right now. Dolan isn’t wrong for saying this could cause the Steelers to lose a lot of games, but it also isn’t wrong to say that isn’t necessarily true.
Dolan’s other point about the AFC North being healthier and stronger this year could be the Steelers’ biggest obstacle. They did dominate the division last year and have usually played some of their best football against division rivals, but a healthy Joe Burrow could make the Bengals a fierce opponent. The same could be said for the Cleveland Browns if their quarterback and star running back bounce back after injury-riddled seasons in 2023. Those battles within the division will most likely make or break the Steelers’ season, as they often do.
The Steelers have gone over their win total in the last four seasons, and eight of their last 10 overall, so that precedent says they should be able to beat the odds again. However, their luck could finally run out this year, but again, it feels like everyone has been saying that about Tomlin’s squads since Ben Roethlisberger retired. The Steelers continue to prove doubters wrong, and with a revamped offense this year led by a new quarterback, they might be the best they’ve been in years. Betting against Tomlin and the Steelers might be an unwise decision.
