This year looks different for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, they’re a little rough around the edges as always, but they’re a little tougher than last year’s team as they enter the final stretch of the NFL regular season before the playoffs begin.
Russell Wilson, although still somewhat inconsistent, was a veteran presence on this team to improve the operation of the offense. Defense has been the driving force behind the Steelers’ success and after their latest performance against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are 10-3 in complete command of the AFC North with four games remaining. They may still go early in the playoffs due to the randomness of football, but they are better positioned to win the Super Bowl than in recent years.
Their chances start with their defense, which is arguably one of the best in the league. According to TruMedia, the Steelers’ defense is second in offense on drives without a first down (38), first in turnovers per drive (18.3), fourth in expected points per drive (-0.47), fourth in expected points added per game (-0.09). And a third added dropback per expected point (-0.07).
The Steelers pair an exciting front seven led by Cam Hayward and TJ Watt with a talented secondary that features standout players like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. With Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Terrill Austin pulling the strings, they’ve certainly been able to create. A championship-level defense — one that was capable of disabling even the Ravens’ high-flying offense
Wilson hasn’t made the Steelers a consistent offense, but they’re performing better than when Justin Fields was the quarterback. Since Week 7, with Wilson the starter, the Steelers have ranked seventh in points per drive (2.18), net yards per pass attempt (7.8), third in third-and-long conversions (34.1%) and 12th in rushing. Added dropback per point (0.11). They’re not a consistent offense — they’re 20th in success rate this stretch — but they make more explosive plays and are better in critical situations with Wilson under center. That’s enough to make them a really, really tough 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, hosting a home game in the first round. Last season’s team was seeded seventh and took an offense led by Mason Rudolph en route to Buffalo, and they were outclassed. They also didn’t have the offense to pair with their defense in the 2021 season, when they were blown out by the Chiefs in the wild-card round in Ben Roethlisberger’s final game, or in the 2022 campaign, when they missed the playoffs and alternated between then-rookie Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.
That shouldn’t be the case for this year’s team, though the Steelers are a little rough around the edges. Their recent 24-19 loss to the Browns in Week 12 showed them some warts (albeit in a blizzard), but this is a team that should be viewed as a threat for the top spot in the AFC.
Kansas City is likely going to hold onto the No. 1 seed because they’ve clawed their way into the playoffs on paper, but they certainly don’t look like the indomitable team they’ve been in the past. The Steelers have a chance, especially if they can hold on to their lead in the AFC North. When there are many teams in a year extremely Down on their luck, this stitched-together Steelers team should be considered one that can make a convincing run if the defense heats up and Wilson continues to give them a cleaner offensive function.
That’s a significant improvement from where they were a year ago, when they were wondering whether to bench Pickett, their former first-round draft pick. Their future at quarterback is still unknown, but now? They could make some noise in the postseason.
