Can the Steelers challenge for the No. 1 seed in a weakened AFC?
Raise your hand if you thought the Colts and Steelers would be the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the AFC after six weeks so I know where the liars are. By virtue of the Chiefs’ slow start, the Bills’ recent losing streak, and the Ravens’ injury-induced implosion, the AFC is an open conference. And the Steelers just happen to be sitting there with one loss. They are right in the mix, one of only two teams in the conference with just one loss.
But would we be fooling ourselves to think that, by season’s end, the Steelers could contend for the top seed? After all, their schedule grows considerably harder after this week, one of the toughest in the NFL. Conversely, the Ravens have one of the easiest remaining schedules. And coming out of their bye week, they will be much healthier. They may be in a four-game hole, but Pittsburgh isn’t finishing 13-4 this year.
After the Joe Flacco-led Bengals on Thursday, the Steelers have a rough road of AFC and NFC teams. First up is the Packers, followed by the Colts and Chargers. After the Bengals and Bears, they have to play the Bills and Ravens. In the final three weeks, they play the Lions and then the Ravens again.
Conceivably, the Steelers could lose the good majority of these games. Let’s not forget that just a year ago, they were sitting at 4-2, not so far from where they are now. And they did that with a backup quarterback who is now 0-5 this season.
When the Steelers had a tough schedule late in the season, including some of the AFC’s top teams, they crumbled. Granted, they also had injuries at that time, and a condensed, unusual schedule to deal with. This year, they are facing far fewer shenanigans.
But, realistically, can the Steelers contend for the No. 1 seed in the AFC? Is it too early to even have that conversation? Maybe the earliest that conversation might be relevant would be if they beat the Bills in Week 13. And that’s at the end of November, so it’ll be a while yet, unless Buffalo also suffers great misfortune in the meantime. Still, with the Steelers currently sitting in the No. 2 spot behind only the Colts, it’s easy for the mind to wander.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
