Aaron Rodgers said before the season started that he felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers could contend for a Super Bowl. Many people disagreed with him. While the Steelers upgraded their team, there were questions about how their new pieces would fit in. However, after five games, the Steelers are one of the best teams in the AFC. Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy thinks they could be dangerous this season.
“The Steelers I thought would be good,” Dungy said Wednesday on the Football Night in America podcast. “Thought if they could get good, solid quarterback play, they’d be fine. Then, the defense wasn’t playing great early on, and the quarterback was carrying them. Now, they’ve got the defense coming and I say look out for the Steelers. If Aaron can stay healthy, they’re gonna be a factor down the stretch.”
The Steelers won their first game of the year, but they didn’t look great. Rodgers played well, but their offensive line struggled, and they had issues running the ball. Also, the Steelers’ defense wasn’t playing up to their potential. Overall, it looked like their team had a lot of work to do.
However, as the season has gone on, the Steelers have improved. They currently have the 29th-ranked offense and the 25th-ranked defense. While that doesn’t look great, they’ve played better than those standings suggest. The Steelers have played more balanced football in their last two games, with their defense starting to play up to its potential.
The Steelers are going to be tested over the next few weeks, though, starting Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Bengals haven’t been great recently, it’s a divisional game on a short week.
After that things look more difficult. Their following three games are against the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Chargers, three of the best teams in the league. The Colts have the best record in the AFC, and the Chargers have the third best. If the Steelers win those games, they could be in serious play for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
We’ll see if the Steelers continue improving. These next few weeks should say a lot about them. Dungy might be proven right. As long as they stay healthy, the Steelers look like they have a real path to at least winning their division.
