Sitting at 8-2, the Pittsburgh Steelers are beyond just hoping to win their division at this point. Now, they should have their eyes set on the number-one seed in the AFC. If they can manage not to lose a game for the rest of the year, they can accomplish that goal. At that point, they should be able to make a good run at the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson seems to believe the Steelers can capture a championship.
“I definitely think that we have a chance,” Wilson said Tuesday via Steelers Live on Twitter. “I think the biggest thing for us is continuing to just take each week as the most important week of all.
“I think that it’s not really even just the week, it’s just the day, just the moments in between. I think the greatest teams, the greatest players in any sport, especially the teams I’ve been on, is the moment, it’s never too far way.”
That might be looking too far into the future, but Wilson knows what he’s talking about. He led the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014, so he knows what a Super Bowl contender looks like. Before this season, a championship might have been a longshot for the Steelers, but that might not be the case anymore.
The Steelers do have some key pieces to make a deep playoff run. Their run game has been strong, led by a young offensive line, and their defense has arguably been the best in the league. That formula helped Wilson’s Seahawks win a Super Bowl. The Steelers could do similar things.
Wilson continued to explain why he has such solid belief in this team, pointing to how connected they feel.
“Since OTAs when we first got here, and the guys coming to San Diego, especially offensively, we just bonded in such a great way. I think that’s been fun. Obviously, Latrobe was great, and the hard work you put into there, the tough early mornings, the late days, late nights, and all that, sitting on the porch. Then I think it’s just the little things that you have to do well. There’s no substitute for hard work.”
When Wilson mentions San Diego, he’s talking about when a number of Steelers came out to work with him during the summer. That offseason work does pay off in a big way. The Steelers had a lot of new pieces on offense, but they’ve been able to jell together well.
The Steelers’ offense has taken another step forward with Wilson under center. They’ve beaten some really good teams, the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens. They aren’t strangers to adversity, either. Against the Commanders, they were down by two scores, and yet they battled back. Against the Ravens, they forced the NFL’s best offense to a screeching halt.
It still might be a little early to say the Steelers will win the Super Bowl definitively, but Wilson is correct that they will have a chance. As long as they get into the dance, they can come away with a championship. They just have to continue playing as well as they are now.
The Steelers are still likely facing an uphill battle, but they do control their own destiny. Wilson’s veteran experience could also help them once the playoffs roll around. For the most part, not many of their offensive players have a ton of playoff experience. Wilson could help keep the ship steady in the postseason. The Steelers will need to handle business with the Cleveland Browns this week first before they think about the Super Bowl.
