Where the Steelers stand after the rest of the division played Week 4
Due to the outbreak amongst the Tennessee Titans organization of positive cases of COVID-19, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game in Week 4 was postponed by the National Football League. That didn’t keep the rest of the AFC North division from playing their games. In this article, we’ll look at how the Steelers’ divisional opponents fared and where Pittsburgh stands after being required to take extra time off of the field.
Cleveland is on a high-scoring streak
The Cleveland Browns were ahead of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 41-14, before they allowed the Dallas Cowboys to score 24 unanswered points. Per ESPN Stats and Info, the 31 points the Browns scored in the first half of the game was the first time it has happened since Dec. 1, 1991, at Indianapolis (Bernie Kosar was in at quarterback). The Browns have scored 30 points in three straight games for the first time since 1968. While the Browns are 3-1 entering Week 5 of the 2020 NFL regular season, much of their success has come due to turnovers, especially against opposing quarterbacks, caused by their defense. The Browns offense has then had the opportunity to take advantage as they did with this play on Sunday over the Cowboys.
https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1312847247953063936
Next on the Browns’ schedule is a home game against the Indianapolis Colts (3-1) with Philip Rivers leading the offense. Following that, the Browns are scheduled to face the Steelers (3-0), Cincinnati Bengals (1-2-1), Las Vegas Raiders (2-2), Houston Texans (0-4), and Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1). The Browns’ early high-scoring start and three-win streak through four weeks could indicate that Baker Mayfield has finally found his footing offensively and has room to allow the defense to continue to be highly disruptive – a surprise for many after the Browns have dwelt in the bottom of the league, and division, for so many years.
Baltimore not yet at the level of 2019 squad
On Sunday, against the Washington Football Team, the Ravens displayed balance offensively and defensively. They have yet to show, however, that they’re playing at the level they were at the end of the 2019 NFL regular season. As the 2019 season was nearing its end, Baltimore had one of the most productive rushing games in the league and a defensive secondary that played tight coverage and forced opponents to be one-sided. While they’ve still been effective, at 3-1, they have room to grow.
https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1312843185664806914
Baltimore’s wins came against the Browns, an abysmal Texans team, and Washington. Their lone loss was against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s hard to get too optimistic that Baltimore is a lock to win the division, although they’ll face the Bengals and Eagles before hosting the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Even against opponents that they were expected to blow out, the Ravens didn’t have the spectacular run game they were known for last season and Lamar Jackson was far from crisp in his improvision in the passing game. The Ravens defense also has not been sharp when making necessary tackles or shutting down short passes.
Bengals go as Burrows goes
There was only one way to go for Cincinnati after a dismal display of football last season. After grabbing the first overall draft pick in 2020 in Joe Burrow, things are looking up, progressively. Although the Bengals have lost two games through the first quarter of the 2020 season (against the Los Angeles Chargers and Browns), and tied the Eagles, they’ve kept the scores competitively close (13-16, 30-35, and 23-23 respectively). In Week 4, Burrow led the Bengals to their first win of the season, earning his first professional victory in a 32-25 win over a so-so Jacksonville Jaguars team. Burrow subsequently became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for a minimum of 300 yards in three sequential games. Cincinnati also avoided going winless in its first four games for the second straight season, something the team hasn’t done in two decades.
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1312840250662645761
The Bengals will face the Ravens, Colts, Browns, and Titans before facing the Steelers. If Burrow can keep things on offense moving in the right direction and Cincinnati’s defense and special teams can catch on to that fire, this team may find itself in a good position to challenge their divisional rivals over the next few weeks.
Steelers still in charge
Despite the unfortunate postponement with the Titans, the Steelers are still in charge of their destiny (3-0) and leading the AFC North as they prepare for the Eagles in Week 5. Although the return of Ben Roethlisberger has given the offense a nice boost, it has been the dominance of the defense that has finally come full circle. T.J. Watt earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month (September) and has been on a tear, going full speed nearly 100 percent of the time despite being held and double-teamed. That spirit has given his teammates a kick in the morale to push for success week-in and week-out.
https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1312385324836966406
Roethlisberger has been efficient in spreading the ball around between a slew of offensive playmakers as the Steelers dealt with an early shifting of personnel along the offensive line with little letdown in performance. While Pittsburgh has utilized James Conner, Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, and Jaylen Samuels in the run game, Roethlisberger has not played favorites in who he has targeted in the passing game. He has given what defenses have offered and has thrown seven touchdown passes in the first three games the Steelers have played this season.
7️⃣ TDs so far for 7️⃣@_BigBen7 | #PHIvsPIT – Oct. 11 at 1 pm on FOX pic.twitter.com/bYAa7ay1CD
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 4, 2020
The Steelers’ next opponents, after the Eagles, will be the Browns, Titans (rescheduled from Week 4 matchup), Ravens, and Cowboys. At this point, all of those games look winnable. Divisional games are always tough as rivals vie for the head of the AFC North pack. While the Steelers aren’t putting up huge offensive numbers, they’ve allowed the least points from opponents (58) of all the divisional teams.
