As of this writing, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in sole possession of first place in the AFC North at 3-1. Part of that is the Steelers have simply found a way to win. And part of that is the struggles across the rest of the division.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a chance to match the Steelers’ 3-1 record on Monday Night Football. But they have to find a way to win without QB Joe Burrow. And his backup, Jake Browning, struggled mightily against the Minnesota Vikings last week. And the team picked by the vast majority of the media to win the division, the Baltimore Ravens, has stumbled and fumbled their way to a 1-3 record. The same record as the Cleveland Browns, by the way. And the Ravens are dealing with a rash of injuries.
So, do the Steelers have a legitimate chance to win the AFC North in 2025?
“You better believe this,” former NFL LB Tedy Bruschi said Monday on ESPN’s Get Up. “Because, this play right here. A thing of beauty when Aaron Rodgers hits his back foot and gets a runner’s ball out to DK Metcalf. More of this is needed, yes. But as a team, you see the progression in September. Finally, the defense starting to make plays and get after the quarterback in Carson Wentz. This is a team that I think can absolutely win the North. I’m not saying they’re going to run away with or anything like that. But this is going to be a December-won division, and right now, I think the Steelers are set up for it.”
METCALF 80 Yard TD #Steelers !!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Cx90McmEKU
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 28, 2025
That play is a reminder of two things. One, QB Aaron Rodgers still can whip the ball with accuracy. And two, WR DK Metcalf is an insane athlete. The fact that he took a 13-yard slant and proceeded to run 67 yards for a touchdown at his size is still jaw-dropping. Major props to WR Calvin Austin III for the final block inside the 10-yard line to prevent him a touchdown-saving tackle, too. Metcalf said after the game that he feels like he’s at home with the Steelers, and who can argue that?
And Bruschi is right. The Steelers need more big plays on offense, not just once a game, because big plays put more pressure on the opponents to keep up. And that allows the Steelers’ defense to be more aggressive. And the defense has certainly progressed over the course of September, as Bruschi noted. After struggling for the first two weeks of the season, the defense caused enough havoc against the New England Patriots with five turnovers and five sacks to win that game.
And against the Vikings in Dublin, the defense took it to another level. The Steelers held the Vikings to only 70 yards rushing. That was the first time the Steelers’ defense held any team to under 100 rushing yards this season. They may not have managed five turnovers like they did against the Patriots, but they still forced two. And they pummeled Vikings QB Carson Wentz for six sacks and 10 quarterback hits, per Pro Football Reference.
If the Steelers can continue to improve on defense, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. However, CB Jalen Ramsey went down with an injury during the Vikings game. Insider Gerry Dulac reported late Sunday night that he could miss multiple games with a hamstring injury. Thankfully, the Steelers have their bye week this week. That could lead to the return of CB Joey Porter Jr. and potentially even CB Cory Trice Jr.
The Steelers need to weather this injury storm and work out some other issues, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But they are in a great spot to challenge for the AFC North. And Tedy Bruschi thinks they can win it.
