Do the Steelers deserve to be considered favorites to win the AFC North?
The Steelers can lock up the AFC North on Saturday by beating the Baltimore Ravens. But even though they have a great recent track record, the Ravens are not an easy out. Baltimore will be motivated, and they are playing a high level of football right now.
Still, even if the Steelers lose, the Ravens won’t control the AFC North. The Steelers could still win the division by beating the Chiefs and Bengals, no matter what the Ravens do. And the Ravens still have to play the Texans, who will be competing for the AFC’s third seed. The Browns could always surprise them again, as well.
Of course, the Steelers facing the Chiefs and Bengals is a tougher draw than the Texans and Browns. The simplest path to the AFC North crown is for the Steelers to beat the Ravens straight up. With the possibility of being without George Pickens and T.J. Watt, among others, however, Pittsburgh, on the road, will be at a disadvantage.
And so that raises the question: do the Steelers even deserve to be considered favorites to win the AFC North? Are they more likely to beat the Ravens, or alternatively the Chiefs and Bengals, than the Ravens are to win out? Who has an easier road ahead?
I do think a strong case can be made in the Ravens’ favor, at this point. And I’m guessing a lot of Steelers fans don’t have a great feeling about beating the Chiefs on Christmas. Even if they buy into the idea that the Steelers have the Ravens’ number, the AFC North is a powerful motivator.
The Steelers last won the AFC North in 2020, while the Ravens are the defending champions. They earned the AFC’s top seed last year, and advanced to the conference finals. Meanwhile, the Steelers are looking for their first postseason win since 2016. Even the Browns have won a playoff game—against the Steelers—since Pittsburgh’s last.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
