Will the Steelers run away with the AFC North next week?
The Steelers go into Week 6 with an already comfortable lead in the AFC North, but with two divisional games in a week, they can do some serious damage. First, they play the Cleveland Browns, who are playing a rookie quarterback making his second NFL start. Then they play the Cincinnati Bengals, who just traded for the quarterback the Browns benched for the rookie.
Theoretically, if the Steelers are the team they think they are, they should smash both of their AFC North rivals. But divisional games often don’t go the way one expects them to, as we saw last night with the Giants beating the Eagles. Likewise, the Bills just lost to the Patriots.
Lest we forget, the Steelers have lost to AFC North rivals starting backup and non-premier rookies before. There was the Ryan Mallet game in 2015, for example, and they lost to Dorian Thompson-Robinson more recently. Just because they’re playing Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco doesn’t mean much. After all, Flacco just beat them last year, and now he has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
With all that said, yes, they should win these two games. They are clearly the better team, with a much better defense than the Bengals. The Browns have a good defense, but their offense has a lot to prove. Much of that has to do with Gabriel, and of course with his limited experience, he is an unknown quantity. They have an offensive line and some skill players, and rookie RB Quinshon Judkins packs a punch. The Steelers know Flacco very well, of course, from past AFC North matchups. Having faced him with the Ravens and Browns, now they complete the trifecta.
Sitting at 3-1 coming off their bye, the Steelers are the only team in the AFC North with a non-losing record. Following Joe Burrow’s injury, the Bengals have dropped three in a row, now 2-3. Both the Browns and Ravens are 1-4. Baltimore has the most talented roster, but the hole it’s digging may be too deep to climb out of once it begins righting the ship. By next Friday morning, the Steelers could be 5-1 against three divisional rivals who are at least three games back in the win column. Cincinnati has Green Bay next, and Baltimore plays the Rams.
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.
