It wasn’t pretty on Sunday in a heated AFC North rivalry matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, and the red zone struggles were rather glaring, but the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to win the pivotal football game, 18-16, at Acrisure Stadium to take control of the AFC North.
In the process, the Steelers sent a statement to the rest of the NFL, showing that they are a legitimate contender moving forward, right there with the likes of the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and even the Ravens.
For some NFL executives, who remain anonymous, there is a greater belief in the Steelers compared to past seasons, in large part due to their offensive scheme under coordinator Arthur Smith and the stability at quarterback with Russell Wilson under center.
In a piece for The Athletic from NFL writer Mike Sando, a pair of executives heaped praise on the Steelers on the offensive side of the football, with one crediting the match of Smith and Wilson as “made in heaven,” while another executive stated he has more confidence in the offensive scheme this season, which should help the Steelers advance a round or two in the playoffs in January.
“I still think they have to run the ball a little better, but the match of the offensive coordinator and the quarterback are made in heaven, as long as Russell doesn’t decide he has to start cooking all the time,” an exec said, according to The Athletic.
On Sunday against the Ravens, the Steelers had a tall task in front of them from a run-game perspective, considering they were going against the league’s No. 1 rush defense. In the win over the Ravens, the Steelers ran the football 34 times for 122 yards and 3.6 yards per carry.
Those numbers aren’t all that impressive, but the fact that the Steelers had a consistent rushing attack that was able to churn out yards, possess the football and keep the Ravens’ offense off the field was key. The Steelers held the football for 36:22, compared to 23:38 for the Ravens, which is a great recipe.
It paid off.
Entering Sunday’s matchup, the Steelers were averaging 136.7 yards on the ground, so they were right around their average, and they were able to put the game away late with a read-option from backup QB Justin Fields, and a 3rd and 1 plunge from Najee Harris, sealing the win with the ground game.
Right now, things are working well. Even with Wilson not having much of a good game, struggling to really push the ball down the field and coming apart in the red zone, there’s a lot of confidence in Pittsburgh’s offense, which is a change from recent years.
“I’m not saying they are going to advance to the Super Bowl, but can they advance a round or two? Absolutely, especially if their defense is healthy. I have so much more confidence in their scheme on offense now compared to in the past,” another exec said of the Steelers, according to The Athletic.
While there still remains some doubt as to the Steelers being a true Super Bowl contender, there is no denying the belief in the offense. It still might not be that consistently explosive offense that can move the ball with ease and score on anyone, but there are a lot of good parts to it under Smith with Wilson at the helm.
Add the Justin Fields special package moving forward designed to utilize Fields’ skill set, and this could be a dangerous group moving forward, one that is increasingly hard to defend.
Pair that with a star-studded defense that remains healthy and continues to play great football, and there’s no telling where this team could end up. It’s rather exciting.
The Steelers are legitimate, and it’s time more and more people take notice. This is a team that should be playing into late January.
