The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to a 6-2 start, tied for the second-best record in the conference. The Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans share their record while the Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated through seven games. The Steelers, however, have had an easier schedule than most of the teams with the best records right now.
Of the nine teams with two or fewer losses, they have the fourth-lowest strength of victory. Among that same group, they also have the third-lowest strength of schedule. The Steelers have three wins against two-win teams, half of their conquests against teams with non-winning records.
We know the second half of the Steelers’ schedule is supposed to be harder on paper, and it likely will be. Even though two of their three divisional rivals currently have losing records, they will be a considerable challenge. But Alex Highsmith and the rest of the team is ready to start playing AFC North football.
“It’s definitely the first time since I’ve been here that we haven’t played a divisional team throughout these first eight games of the season”, Highsmith said after a 26-18 win over the New York Giants about the Steelers’ oddly laid schedule, via the team’s website. “We definitely can’t wait for those on the back end. We know we’ve got a lot of them. It’s the AFC North, and we know that every game from here on out is gonna be a tough game. It starts in Washington in a couple weeks. But we’re definitely ready for some AFC North ball, for sure”.
The Steelers still have to wait for some AC North ball, however. They have their bye week up next, and then they play the Washington Commanders. They won’t face their first AFC North team, the Baltimore Ravens, until Nov. 17. But then they play their divisional opponents six times in an eight-week span.
And on top of that, their only “respites” along the way are the 5-2 Eagles and the 7-0 Chiefs. Of the Steelers’ final nine games, five are against winning teams. And by the time they play Cincinnati on Dec. 1, the Bengals could be at least .500.
Divisional games are always funny, including in the AFC North. The Steelers have certainly lost to some bad Browns teams. But they have also beaten better Bengals and Ravens teams than the Steelers were at the time. And this Browns team has just two wins, but a new dynamic with Jameis Winston at quarterback.
The Steelers have the luxury of carrying a one-game divisional lead into their bye over the 5-3 Ravens. They have a three-game advantage over the 3-5 Bengals and four games over the 2-6 Browns. They are the only team in the division entering their bye this week.
Last year, the Steelers went 5-1 in divisional play. The year before that, every single AFC North team split with each other, everyone finishing 3-3. It’s hard to predict how divisional play will go this year. But if the Steelers want to make a run in the playoffs, they better plan to dominate.
