Though the Pittsburgh Steelers are always in the hunt, the team hasn’t won the AFC North since 2020. It marks their longest drought in decades. Analysts Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein don’t think Pittsburgh is the biggest challenger to the Baltimore Ravens’ crown. Instead, the Cincinnati Bengals got the nod over the Steelers.
Zierlein credited the Steelers’ solid draft class, but the question at quarterback caps the team’s ceiling.
“I don’t know what they’re doing at quarterback over there,” Zierlein told Brooks on the Move the Sticks podcast. “And until Aaron Rodgers gets there, I think you have to say the Bengals.”
Pittsburgh remains in limbo and is waiting on Rodgers’ word. Confidence from the team and media insiders suggests that Rodgers is still likely to sign, but nothing is done until he officially signs a contract. He’s as unpredictable as any player in football, and even if Rodgers eventually signs, getting a deal done before OTAs is important.
The Bengals spent their offseason resources inking stud receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term deals. Though quiet adding in free agency, they used the draft to stock the shelves defensively and along the interior offensive line. Texas A&M’s Shemart Stewart was selected in the first round while Cincinnati added two off-ball linebackers (Demetrius Knight, Barrett Carter) and multiple offensive linemen (Dylan Fairchild, Jalen Rivers). The Bengals and Steelers had the same general draft plan – beef up the trenches and improve the front seven.
“This offense is so good, these young guys playing under [defensive coordinator] Al Golden should be able to make enough plays to help this defense back on track.”
Habitually slow starters, the Bengals can’t get off to another disappointing start. Should they avoid that, a high-powered offense coupled with even an average defense can put them in division title contention.
“The Bengals, to me, are the team who can close ground,” Brooks said.
Pittsburgh’s strength has been in its divisional play and ability to win close games. The Steelers have finished .500 or better versus the North for over a decade, holders of the NFL’s longest active streak in-division. And no team has a higher winning percentage in one-score games than the Steelers during the Mike Tomlin era.
Combining the two, Pittsburgh is 39-22-1 (.637) in one-score games against the AFC North since 2007. Impressive as that is, the Steelers have still struggled to get over the hump. To capture the division, to win a playoff game. Zierlein’s and Brooks’ takes may not sit well with Steelers fans, but it’s hard to blame them for favoring the Bengals.
