After their impressive win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers have entered the Super Bowl-contender conversation. That’s mostly because their offense showed the most fire since Ben Roethlisberger was their quarterback. Their defense has been elite, but they’ve struggled to get their offense on the same level. That could be changing. However, former NFL corner Jason McCourty believes the Steelers still only have an outside shot at winning a championship.
“I think they’re still a dark horse,” McCourty said Thursday on ESPN’s First Take. “I feel like, for all of us looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers, nobody sits there and looks at them and says, ‘Alright, they’ve arrived.’ When we talk about the top teams in the AFC, you go Chiefs and you go Bills right away. No one is putting the Pittsburgh Steelers in that category, no matter what they do.”
McCourty isn’t exactly saying that the Steelers aren’t contenders. He’s just pointing out that the current portrayal of them in the media is that they aren’t one of the very best teams in the NFL yet. That isn’t wrong either.
Although some people are putting the Steelers in that category with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, McCourty’s point still stands. The Steelers aren’t lacking in doubters. Several analysts have been waiting for the bottom to fall out in Pittsburgh. However, it might be too extreme to go too far on either end of the spectrum.
The Steelers are the best team in the AFC North. At the moment, that’s what their record says. There’s a good argument to make for them being one of top teams in the AFC. That doesn’t mean they’re going to win the Super Bowl.
Although they’ve played great, the Steelers still clearly have their flaws. That offensive explosion against the Bengals could be a fluke. Letting one game dictate the narrative when there’s a 12-game sample size available is foolish.
If the Steelers get into the playoffs, they can win the Super Bowl. They have the pieces to make a deep run. However, saying they’re a favorite might be a little presumptive. The Chiefs look weaker this year, but they should never be underestimated. Also, the Bills look like they’re on a mission. Those two teams might still be a step above the Steelers.
That doesn’t mean that can’t change. The Steelers will play the Chiefs in a few weeks, and if they win that game, they could flip this narrative on its head. The Steelers’ story isn’t finished until this season ends. The NFL is fluid, with things constantly changing.
