It was obvious leading up to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders that, if they won, they were going to be the talk of the NFL media landscape. They defeated the 7-2 Commanders to improve to 7-2, and they are predictably getting showered with praise after their first big win of the year.
“Anyone who doesn’t think that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the Super Bowl conversation, they’re kidding themselves right now,” Damien Woody said Monday via ESPN’s First Take. “When you are coached by Mike Tomlin, okay…who expected Russell Wilson to play this well? I certainly did not. Russell Wilson is playing a lot better. This team is averaging 10 more points per game with Russell Wilson as a starting quarterback. We know that they have that defense.”
Good coaching, good defense, and a good quarterback will usually give most teams a chance at competing deep into the playoffs.
Today, I am going to paint the bullish side of the argument for why the Steelers are indeed Super Bowl contenders.
At the surface level, most people would assume the offense isn’t good enough to hang around with the best teams in the league. They just beat the No. 3 offense in both points and yards against the Commanders yesterday. Also, Wilson has the team climbing up the charts, and the Steelers are now the 12th-best scoring offense in the NFL. One more solid game (against a weak Ravens defense) and we could be talking about a top-10 offense in Pittsburgh.
That offense is paired with the current No. 2 defense in scoring, the Steelers allowing just 16.2 points per game. The Kansas City Chiefs, who many see as the Steelers’ biggest roadblock in the AFC, have the fifth-best scoring defense and have only scored four more points than the Steelers this season. They are undefeated, but they aren’t some statistical juggernaut. On paper, the Steelers absolutely have a chance at beating them.
Pittsburgh’s offense had only had three games of Wilson leading it. It is reasonable to expect him to settle in even further, and the offensive line has a chance to improve as it continues to jell. Mike Williams should also start to play a big role as the WR2 once he gets fully up to speed. There is still meat left on the bone, so to speak, for this offense. Wilson has a remarkable 8.24 adjusted net yards per passing attempt through three games. That is by far the highest in his career if it holds up.
Special teams can’t be discounted, either. Chris Boswell was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September and October. He has been money all season. To pair with the kicking, the Steelers have one punt returned for a touchdown and three blocked kicks or punts.
