The Pittsburgh Steelers have started their season with a 2-0 record eight times since 1999. They have also started with a 2-0 road record four times since then. But the 2024 season is the first time since 1999 that both have been true. A tip of the hat to our Dave Bryan for finding this stat.
After defeating the Atlanta Falcons on the road 18-10 in Week 1, the Steelers traveled to Denver in Week 2 and secured a 13-6 victory.
Two-straight road games to start the season is rare enough on its own. They haven’t had that since 2001, and that was because of the tragic events of 9/11 rescheduling all Week 2 games to the end of the season that year. So the last time they were truly scheduled to play two-straight road games to enter the season prior to 2024 was 25 years ago in 1999.
Hopefully they can reverse the trend of what ended up happening that season. The 1999 team led by QB Kordell Stewart ended up dropping three games in a row after their 2-0 start on their way to a 6-10 finish.
That year, the Steelers opened up with back-to-back divisional road games. They defeated the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 by a score of 43-0, and then followed it up with a 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Even back then, the Steelers-Ravens games were decided by a field goal or less.
Out of those 25 years, the eight 2-0 Steelers teams have only advanced to 3-0 on three different occasions. The 2020 team made it all the way to 11-0 before dropping their first game while the 2007 and 2010 teams made it to 3-0 before their streak ended.
Neither of the Steelers’ first two games this season have been particularly flashy, but they have found ways to win.
Up next are the 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers in the friendly confines of Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Chargers have some uncertainty surrounding QB Justin Herbert’s availability after an ankle injury in Week 2.
There are only five teams remaining in the AFC that are 2-0. That number, at most, will be four teams next week after the Steelers-Chargers game on Sunday afternoon. It’s a pretty spectacular start considering the Steelers have double the wins of the rest of the AFC North combined through two weeks.
