After the first five weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are positioned nicely in the AFC North. They’re 3-1 and alone atop the division. The other AFC North teams are reeling, too. The Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals are all dealing with serious question marks. Despite that, former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is skeptical about the Steelers.
“I don’t know how good the Steelers are,” Houshmandzadeh said recently on his Up on Game podcast. “They haven’t really played a good team. Two years in a row they’ve had an easy schedule at the outset. So, I don’t know how good they are. Who have they played?
“If you look at who they’ve played at the start of the season, that’s all I’m saying. No shade, no hate at all. I got a ton of respect for the Steelers. Very good on defense. Offense is a work in progress since Ben [Roethlisberger] has been gone and he’s been gone a while.”
It’s important to note that Houshmandzadeh’s comments came before most of the Week 5 games were played. While the Steelers didn’t have a game, some of their previous opponents did, and perhaps their performances would change his mind.
For example, in Week 3, the Steelers beat the New England Patriots. Last night the Patriots beat the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills. Young quarterback Drake Maye looks like an ascending star. However, against the Steelers, Maye and the Patriots didn’t look as good.
The Steelers have also beaten the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. While the Jets haven’t looked great in their other games, the Vikings have looked alright. Yes, they had their backup quarterback against the Steelers, but Minnesota’s defense had been solid. The Steelers’ offense managed to have a good day against the Vikings, though.
While the Steelers aren’t perfect, no team is. At least they’re winning games. The Browns and Ravens are both 1-4, and the Bengals are 2-3 and without their starting quarterback for much of the season. The Steelers’ offense has been inconsistent, and their defense has underwhelmed, but they’ve won in spite of those issues.
Is it safe to call the Steelers Super Bowl contenders? No. Their team still has several notable weaknesses. However, with five weeks down, the Steelers look like a playoff team. Perhaps things will change, but that’s the nature of the NFL. Anything can change any given week.
