If the Pittsburgh Steelers are known for anything, it’s winning Super Bowls. After their dynasty in the 1970s included four Super Bowls, the Steelers went on a bit of a drought. They didn’t return to the big game until 1995 — a game against the Cowboys that every Pittsburgh fan wishes they could forget. However, thanks to Ben Roethlisberger and a stellar defense, they won two more Lombardi Trophies in 2005 and 2008.
The Steelers are currently stuck in the middle of another Super Bowl dry spell, but with the additions of OC Arthur Smith and QB Russell Wilson, there’s a sliver of hope in Pittsburgh. It seems not everyone thinks they can win a Super Bowl this year though, with one analyst for Fox Sports saying the Steelers have essentially no shot at a championship.
Jason McIntyre is an analyst for Fox and occasionally hosts their show The Herd when regular host Colin Cowherd is out. On a recent episode where he filled in for Cowherd, he grouped NFL teams together into five tiers based on what he believes their chances are of winning a Super Bowl this year. The Steelers landed in the second-worst tier, labeled the “Need a Prayer” tier. McIntyre is saying that the Steelers would need a miracle to win a Super Bowl this year. He didn’t give much analysis, but what he did say wasn’t positive.
“I’m sorry guys. As much as I’ve liked Russell Wilson, it ain’t happening,” McIntyre said. “That team is not very good, schedule is daunting. No thank you.”
No one is claiming the Steelers are favorites to win a Super Bowl this year, but saying in July that they’re basically out of the running is a little presumptuous. If they play up to their potential and get a few breaks with injuries and playoff matchups, it isn’t impossible. The team didn’t look like a contender in 2005 either, finishing the season as the sixth seed and still making a run to win the championship. No one thought the Philadelphia Eagles with Nick Foles at the helm would win a Super Bowl, yet they defeated Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. If the NFL was easy to predict, it wouldn’t be so much fun to watch.
None of that is to say the Steelers should be seen as contenders this year, but in July, every team is on equal footing because anything can happen during the season. Quarterbacks get hurt, players regress, other players emerge and breakout, and nothing goes how anyone expects it to. Right now, it’s easy to say the Kansas City Chiefs will make history and win a third straight Super Bowl, but by Week 4, that opinion could totally change. The NFL is unpredictable, and McIntyre’s assessment is probably a little quick to judge.
Saying this Steelers team is not very good is defendable, until you remember that Mike Tomlin has coached worse rosters to a decent record. This team refuses to quit, and if some of their young pieces play well, then Pittsburgh could make some noise in the playoffs. With a quality pass rush, a stout rushing attack and a revamped offensive line, they have the pieces in place. They just need to put the puzzle together, and maybe add another wide receiver. T.J. Watt is starving for his first playoff win, and this season presents his best shot in years.
