This year feels different for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, they’re a little rough around the edges as usual, but they’re a little tougher than last year’s team as the NFL heads into the final stretch of the regular season before the playoffs begin.
Russell Wilson, while still a bit inconsistent, was the veteran presence this team needed to improve the mechanics of the offense. Defense has been the driving force behind their success and after their last outing against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are 10-3 in complete control of the AFC North with four games remaining. They may still stumble early in the playoffs due to the randomness of the football, but they are better constructed to win a Super Bowl than in recent years.
Their chances start with their defense, which is undeniably one of the best in the league. According to TruMedia, the Steelers’ defense ranks second in percentage of drives without a first down for the offense (38%), first in turnovers per drive (18.3%), fourth in expected points per drive (-0.47), ranked fourth in expected points added per play (-0.09) and third in expected points added per dropback (-0.07). They pair a raw seven led by Cam Heyward and TJ Watt with a talented secondary featuring bright players like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. With Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin pulling the strings, they were certainly able to field a championship-level defense — one that was even able to neutralize the Ravens’ high-flying offense.
Wilson hasn’t exactly turned the Steelers into a consistent offense, but they are performing slightly better than when Justin Fields was the quarterback. Since Week 7, when Wilson became the starting quarterback, the Steelers rank 14th in points per drive (2.18), seventh in net yards per pass attempt (7.8), third in conversions on third-and-long (34.1%) and 12th in expected points added per dropback (0.11). They’re not a consistent offense — they rank 20th in success rate this stretch — but they create more explosive play and are better in critical situations with Wilson under center. That’s enough to make them a very, very strong team to play against when their defense is on point.
Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North title with a win over the Ravens in two weeks, setting up a home first-round matchup. Last year’s team slipped to the seventh seed and took a Mason Rudolph-led offense on the road to Buffalo and was simply outclassed. They also didn’t have the offense to combine with their defense in 2021, when they were blown out by the Chiefs in the wild-card round in Ben Roethlisberger’s last game, or in 2022, when they narrowly missed the playoffs and switched between then. -rookie Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.
That shouldn’t happen for this year’s team, even if they are a little rough around the edges. Their recent 24-19 loss to the Browns in Week 12 showed some of their warts (albeit in a massive snowstorm), but this is a team that should be viewed as a threat to the top of the AFC.
Kansas City will likely maintain the No. 1 ranking as they work their way into the playoffs, but they certainly don’t appear to be the infallible team they have been in the past. The Steelers have a chance, especially if they can maintain their lead for first place in the AFC North. In a year where there are many teams extremely Because of their luck, this stitched-together Steelers team should be viewed as one that can credibly go on the run when the defense gets hot and Wilson continues to give them a cleaner offensive line.
That’s a significant improvement from where they were a year ago, when they were wondering whether or not to bench Pickett, their former first-round pick. Their future at the quarterback position is still unknown, but in the present? They can make some noise in the postseason.
