Can the Steelers win the AFC North?
It’s the age-old question: where will the Steelers end up at the end of the 2024 NFL season? The AFC North was set to be one of the most competitive divisions in the 2024 NFL season, and as such, the media had the Steelers pegged to be in last place when the season started. That is something that’s never happened during the existence of the division. Furthermore, the Steelers haven’t been last place in their division going back to 1989 when they played in the old AFC Central.
Heading into a major Week 8 matchup with the New York Giants, the Steelers could be sitting pretty with a 6-2 record entering their bye week. However, there are still doubters as to their legitimacy as the second half of their schedule has them begin division play while facing tough opponents including the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Yet, that’s no reason to feel complacent with this team.
While the AFC North maintains its reputation as one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, two of the Steelers’ in-division opponents have struggled so far this season: the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. While neither team is a pushover, those four games now look winnable as the Ohio teams have failed to live up to their preseason billing.
The Steelers’ other in-division foe, the Baltimore Ravens, have bounced back from a slow start and share the same 5-2 record heading into the weekend. The only team yet to win a championship in the division is the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers have all claimed division titles in recent years, highlighting the division’s parity. The Ravens’ 2023 title marked their first since 2019. The Bengals previously won the division in 2021 and 2022, while the Steelers took the title four times between 2014 and 2020.
A large part of that rests with head coach Mike Tomlin, who has 17 straight winning seasons, several of which saw some superb coaching. He has continued that legacy in his 18th season, opting to start Russell Wilson at quarterback in Week 7 to great success. Should Wilson continue that success against the Giants and into the second half of the schedule, then the Steelers may be on a path to the playoffs and perhaps a division crown.
Part of that optimism is not only the downfall of the Browns and Bengals so far this season, but the Steelers’ success against the AFC North with a lesser roster in 2023. Pittsburgh finished the year as a playoff team, largely in part to going 5-1 in their division.
Given the current roster, the coach’s strategic approach, and the progress of young players, the Steelers have a real chance to finish the season among the leaders. However, to reach the top, the team must eliminate weaknesses in the offense and maintain a high level of discipline and readiness in every match. If the Steelers can overcome their opponents and maintain consistency in their game, they have a good chance of success in the playoffs for the first time in many years.
That would excite many fans, including those who are studying diligently. You can make sure that both your passions – studying and cheering – have a place in your life. If you have difficulties with writing an essay, you can enlist the support of professional writers by entering the correct request. We recommend to order essay at EduBirdie, long been considered a service with reliable assistance and a responsible approach, which has been helping students of different academic levels with a wide variety of assignments for years. And the written work is done not only with high quality, but also on time and in compliance with all the strictest requirements of educational institutions. This will give you time to understand the intricacies of the Steelers team and beyond and become a true sports expert.
To understand the intricacies of the Steelers schedule, we have to study the upcoming calendar. While this may seem like looking too far ahead, the second half of the schedule approaches quickly starting with a road date at the Washington Commanders. The Commanders currently share the same 5-2 record and lead the NFC East behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Following the Commanders, the Steelers start their six AFC North game slate with the Baltimore Ravens at home before traveling on a short week for a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns and then another road trip to Cincinnati, before hosting Cleveland again on December 8th. This will have Pittsburgh completing four of their six division games within a month span.
Mixed between rematches with the Ravens and Bengals to close the season, the Steelers will have to face the Eagles and Chiefs, which is no short task. However, so long as they can remain competitive in the final nine games and stay on the .500 side of the winning equation, Pittsburgh should end up with at least a ten-win season, if not more. That should be enough to make it into the postseason but will it be enough to win the AFC North?
The Steelers may need some help from the same teams they hope to dominate, including the Eagles, Browns, and Bengals. The Ravens receive a late Week 14 bye before having to play the Steelers head-to-head and also traveling on a short week to Houston to face a tough Texans team. So long as Pittsburgh can take care of business in their head-to-head games within the division, including the two games against the Ravens, they should have a legitimate shot at winning their first AFC North title since 2020.
