Raise your hand if you truly predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers would be in the driver’s seat of the AFC North heading into their bye week. You may have said they would be, but did you truly believe it?
And yet here we are. The Steelers are 6-2 and a game up on the Baltimore Ravens after eight games. The Cincinnati Bengals sit two games back of the Ravens at 3-5 and the Cleveland Browns are in last at 2-6.
Will the Steelers give fans a treat and remain the top dog in the AFC North? Or are we all being tricked into them being a contender for the division crown?
“There’s no doubt that the Steelers are exceeding expectations,” CBSSports.com’s Cody Benjamin wrote on whether the current divisional leaders are for real or not. “Mike Tomlin’s defense is legit, as usual. Najee Harris and the ground game are working. And best of all, the combo of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson under center has produced steadily positive results. All of this probably spells Tomlin’s most successful playoff bid in years. And yet, it feels a bit too early to suggest Pittsburgh is more than just wild-card material. Especially with the more explosive Ravens knocking on the doorstep in the North.
Are there reasons for concern about whether the Steelers will be able to hold their spot atop the AFC North? Absolutely. We all know how tough the schedule will be coming out of the bye week. Every single Steelers game against the AFC North is still to come. That’s on top of games against the Washington Commanders (6-2), the Philadelphia Eagles (5-2), and the Kansas City Chiefs (7-0).
That’s an incredibly tough run of games. It’s all highlighted by an 11-day stretch in which the Steelers face the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs. So it’s understandable that people would have some skepticism.
But there are plenty of reasons to feel good about the Steelers’ chances, too. QB Russell Wilson has taken the offense to another level in his two starts. The offense has eclipsed 400 yards of total offense in both starts and is scoring 31.5 points per game.
And then there’s the defense led by T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward. Through eight games, the Steelers are allowing the third-fewest points per game. And Watt is continuing to make splash plays, reminding former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of James Harrison’s ability to make game-changing plays.
At this point, all signs point to either the Ravens or Steelers winning the AFC North. And the Ravens are coming off a befuddling loss to the Browns. But the Ravens are scoring 30.3 points per game, second-most in the league. And their rushing offense has the most yards in the league with 1,600 yards.
When the Steelers host the Ravens in Week 11, it will be a huge test for the Black and Gold. If they can pass that test, maybe they will be tricking those who counted them out. And the battles will have an even heightened sense of rivalry this year. The Ravens acquired former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson from the Carolina Panthers earlier this week. And the Steelers signed former Ravens LB Patrick Queen and S DeShon Elliott in free agency. So there will be plenty of bad blood on the field this year.
Just how that affects the AFC North title race remains to be seen.
