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 enters the final stretch of the regular season before the playoffs begin.
Russell Wilson, while still a bit inconsistent, has been the veteran presence this team needed to improve the running of the offense. Defense has been the driving force of the Steelers’ success and after their last performance against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are 10-3 with complete control of the AFC North with four games remaining. They may still stumble early in the playoffs due to the randomness of football, but they are better prepared to win a Super Bowl than they have been in recent years.
Their chances start with their defense, which is without a doubt one of the best in the league. According to TruMedia, the Steelers defense ranks second in percentage of offensive drives without a first down (38%), first in turnovers per unit (18.3%), fourth in expected points per unit (-0, 47), fourth in expected points per unit points added per play (-0.09) and third in expected points added per putback (-0.07).
The Steelers combine a raucous front seven led by Cam Heyward and TJ Watt with a talented secondary that features standouts like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. With Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin pulling the strings, they’ve certainly been able to produce a defense championship level, one that was even able to neutralize the Ravens’ high-flying offense.
Wilson hasn’t exactly made the Steelers a consistent offense, but they are performing better than when Justin Fields was the quarterback. Since Week 7, when Wilson became the starter, the Steelers rank 14th in points per drive (2.18), seventh in net yards per pass attempt (7.8), third in third-and-3 conversions. long (34.1%) and 12th in expected yards. points added for dropback (0.11). They aren’t a consistent offense (they rank 20th in success rate over this stretch), but they create more explosive plays and are better in critical situations with Wilson under center. That’s enough to make them a very, very difficult team to play against when their defense is good.
Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North title with a win over the Ravens in two weeks, ensuring it hosts a home game in the first round. Last season’s team fell to seventh place and took a Mason Rudolph-led offense on the road to Buffalo and was outscored. They also didn’t have the offense to match their defense in the 2021 season, when they were eliminated by the Chiefs in the wild card round in Ben Roethlisberger’s final game, or in the 2022 season, when they narrowly missed the playoffs. and alternated between then-rookie Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.
That shouldn’t happen to this year’s team, even though the Steelers are a bit tough. Their recent 24-19 loss to the Browns in Week 12 showed some of their flaws (albeit in the middle of a blizzard), but this is a team that should be viewed as a threat for the top of the AFC.
Kansas City will likely maintain the No. 1 seed as they make their way to the playoffs, but they certainly don’t appear to be the foolproof team they were in the past. The Steelers have a chance, especially if they can maintain their lead in the AFC North. In a year in which there are many teams extremely With no luck, this tight-knit Steelers team should be considered one that can credibly come out running if the defense heats up and Wilson continues to give them a cleaner offensive role.
That’s a substantial improvement from where they were a year ago, when they were considering whether to bench Pickett, their former first-round pick. His future as a quarterback is still unknown, but in the now? They can make some noise in the postseason.