Not too long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were climbing the ranks of Super Bowl contenders. Their recent loss to the Cleveland Browns has put a pin in that conversation though. Their flaws were on full display in front of the entire viewing world. The Steelers were their own worst enemy, and it’s tough to say they can make a run at a championship if they don’t fix some of those things. However, analyst Mike Florio still believes in the Steelers.
“I will put the Steelers in there because of Mike Tomlin and the way that they’re constructed,” Florio said Wednesday on Pro Football Talk. “I think they’re constructed to win. And they’re in a conference where I think it’s gonna be easier to get to the Super Bowl than it would be in the NFC.”
It might be a little premature to totally write the Steelers off after one ugly loss. If they lose to the Cincinnati Bengals this week, maybe the brakes should be pumped on the Super Bowl talk. They were on a short week on the road when they lost to the Browns. That game might just be an outlier.
The more concerning thing about the Steelers is an offense that struggled against the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. That lack of success could be chalked up to those being intense divisional battles, but that might not be wise. Their issues in the red zone have been apparent for weeks. The Steelers can win games with field goals, but they shouldn’t constantly rely on that strategy.
Florio is correct that the AFC is weaker than some people expected it to be. The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-1, but they clearly have flaws. The Steelers have already beaten teams like the Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. The Buffalo Bills look like the best team in the AFC, but over the past few years, they’ve stumbled in the postseason.
If the Steelers get into the dance, they’ll have a chance. Their offense does probably need to iron out some wrinkles if they really want to win the Super Bowl. We’ll get a clearer picture over the next few weeks. They’ve got a handful of tests remaining. If they pass those, maybe Florio will be correct.
