While the Pittsburgh Steelers are supposed to have a “gauntlet” on the back half of their schedule, they are doing what they need to do on the front half. They are off to a 3-0 start, beating a previously 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers team on Sunday. And they did so convincingly, at least in the second half. It’s got many analysts, including former NFL DL Chris Long, buying into them, and eager to do so.
“They’re gonna play the Colts next week. That’s a really good matchup for them. Like, tremendous matchup. I want to bet it right now”, Long said about the Steelers’ prospects for next Sunday on his Green Light podcast. Long is retired now, so he can feel free to bet on games all he wants.
The Colts are off to a 1-2 start, recording their first win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. They have the running game to thank with Jonathan Taylor rushing for 110 yards and two scores. Second-year QB Anthony Richardson threw two interceptions on just 20 attempts, rushing for 24. And Indianapolis’ defense allowed nearly 400 total yards despite recording takeaways. The Steelers are protecting the ball well this season, however.
But Long isn’t just buying the Steelers beating the Colts this week, because he kept on with their schedule. “They’re gonna play the Cowboys. Hey, good luck, Dallas. Good luck”, he said. “They’re gonna play the Raiders. You should be able to win that game”.
While he acknowledged there are some teams on the back half of the Steelers’ schedule that will be a “tough matchup”, like the Chiefs and Eagles and their divisional opponents, he still likes their chances. “I know it gets tougher, but this team is a playoff team if they keep doing what they do”.
“It might be fool’s gold. I don’t think so, though”, Long added about the Steelers’ 3-0 start. “I’m not saying they’re gonna win the damn Super Bowl, but they have gotten better somehow from last year. I think it starts with having a quarterback that you’re excited about, that really is a differentiating factor”.
Yes, Steelers QB Justin Fields has certainly been a positive factor thus far. He has largely made smart decisions and protected the football, and especially on Sunday, he also showed that he can make a difference with his arm. It is actually interesting that we are seeing less and less with his legs, and I’m not sure that’s good. He is an effective runner, and the Steelers shouldn’t be afraid to exploit that.
Long notes that the Steelers play the Colts, Cowboys, and Raiders next, and all three are winnable games. It is plausible that they could get off to a 6-0 start, though realistically, they probably won’t. After that comes the New York Jets, who are looking credible, and the New York Giants. As long as Aaron Rodgers doesn’t Aaron Rodgers everywhere, they could win those, too, going into the bye week.
It’s after that that things get tough. Up first for the Steelers are the Washington Commanders, who impressively won a shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals last night. They play six division games over the final eight weeks, as we know, along with the Chiefs and Eagles. The way the Steelers look now, they should be able to win enough to make the playoffs, at least. But how far can they go once they make it? Having a two-game division lead already doesn’t hurt, but they need to hold onto that.
