Will home cooking get the Steelers past the Chiefs?
While beating the Chiefs isn’t enough for the Steelers to win the AFC North, the path to the divisional title is precarious without a win today. Basically, they would need the Ravens to lose at least once, if not twice, depending on which game they lose.
But the Steelers are in the midst of two-game losing streak, and the Chiefs have the best record in the NFL. But their two-game losing streak game is against two of the better teams in the league. And the Steelers should be healthier for this game while also playing at home, instead of away like their two losses.
Everybody knew when the NFL released the schedule that playing the Eagles and Ravens on the road in consecutive weeks would constitute one of the most brutal stretches of any team in the league. Not to mention, the Steelers played the Ravens in Baltimore on a Saturday with a Wednesday game to follow.
While things are not ideal health-wise, the Steelers look a lot better on paper this week. And playing in front of Steelers fans won’t hurt. The road hasn’t been overly kind to them this year. Away from Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers are 5-4. At home, they are 5-1. The only loss was to the Dallas Cowboys, on a last-minute play on fourth down. And that was before Russell Wilson was healthy.
The AFC got the short end of the stick this year, playing more away games than home ones. The Steelers will certainly appreciate closing out the season in Pittsburgh, hoping to go 7-1 in their own stadium. Should they manage to do so, they will be the No. 3 seed as the AFC North champions.
If they lose even one of these games, however, the Ravens can swoop in and steal the division. The Ravens have trailed the Steelers virtually all season, but their recent skid has made things close. Their margin for error is gone. The only way they can control their divisional fate is by winning out. So they better enjoy that Pittsburgh home cooking and leave the KC barbecue for another day. Maybe in the AFC Championship Game.
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.
