Through three weeks of football, the Pittsburgh Steelers are undefeated and on top of the AFC North. Not many people expected that going into this year. The Steelers have looked better than some people expected, though. Their defense is arguably the best in the league, and their offense has shown they can do enough to win. The rest of their division has seriously struggled as well. For those reasons, former All-Pro NFL corner Richard Sherman is picking them to win the AFC North.
“I’m buying that they can win the AFC North,” Sherman said on a recent episode of his podcast. “Because where they were last season gives them a chance to be in position to play the teams that they’re playing. The Browns are looking like they’re having a down year. Cincinnati doesn’t look that great. They’re 0-3 to start the year.
“We’ve talked about Baltimore losing to the Raiders. They were able to pull it out this week and beat the Cowboys pretty convincingly. But Mike Tomlin, this is his masterpiece.”
Nothing Sherman said is incorrect. The Steelers finished third in their division last year, which allowed them to play a few worse teams this year. Their schedule is still difficult, but it could be worse. Just as well, anyone can win on any given day.
The rest of the AFC North is just as bad as Sherman said. The Bengals still haven’t won a game, and no matter how much talent they have, that’s not an easy hole to crawl out of. The Browns look like they’re in free fall, too. Quarterback Deshaun Watson looks like he’s got nothing left, and even though they won a game, they do not seem like a threat to win the division.
Currently, the Ravens feel like the biggest threat to the AFC North crown. They lost an incredibly close game in Week 1 to the Kansas City Chiefs and then dropped a winnable game to the Las Vegas Raiders. They did beat the Dallas Cowboys, but they almost blew that game, too. They do not look as good as some people thought they would, although they aren’t bad by any means.
The Steelers control their destiny, though. They likely won’t win every game, but if they can do well against divisional opponents, they could hold a firm grip on the division. It’s just unfortunate that those games are so far away. We’re still a while away from the Steelers playing an AFC North team, and anything can happen between now and then.
If they do win the division, it probably would be fair to call this season one of Mike Tomlin’s best. Unless they win the Super Bowl, it’s tough to argue that it’s his very best. However, considering the uncertainty at quarterback and how good the rest of the division looked, it would be extremely impressive.
We’re not even close to the end of the season though, so it’s too early to say anything for sure. Injuries are unpredictable and can change anything. For now, the Steelers are in a good position to win the division, but they can’t get complacent. That’s only one piece of the pie, too. If they win the division, they need to make sure they win a playoff game, too. Otherwise, nothing else matters.
