Predicting where the Steelers will be at the halfway point this season
The unbeaten streak is gone, but there are plenty of positives for the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 2024 NFL season starts to heat up. A 3-1 record after four games is nothing to be sniffed at, and if we are brutally honest, the Steelers are probably in a better position than we expected during the preseason.
It’s hard to imagine but Pittsburgh’s hot start could have been better. Plenty of pundits picked the Steelers to beat the spread against the Colts, but it was a strange game, one where the Steelers’ comeback masked a sloppy performance, particularly in the first half.
The loss squandered a potential 4-0 start as they prepare for the next leg of their schedule. The Steelers must now look forward to getting back on track. Thankfully, they have a decent run of games on the horizon, including several winnable matchups.
By Week 11 (including the Steelers’ bye week in early November) Pittsburgh will come up against the reinvigorated Ravens in a clash that could go a long way in shaping the AFC North before we reach the business end of the season. But what shape will the Steelers be in before that game – coming, as it does, at the halfway point of the season?
Let’s make predictions for the five games before Pittsburgh’s first AFC North divisional matchup.
Dallas Cowboys
This is an intriguing matchup, and it promises to be an interesting one from the ebb and flow of a live betting perspective, as it pits the Cowboys’ haphazard defense against the Steelers’ erratic offense. The fact the Steelers are at home might sneak them over the edge in a game that looked tougher to call when the schedule was released this summer.
Las Vegas Raiders
The most unpredictable team in the NFL? The Raiders pulled a rabbit out of the hat by beating a Ravens team clearly suffering from early-season rust in Week 2. They also defeated another AFC North foe by beating the Browns in Week 4. Yet, this is exactly the sort of game the Steelers should expect to win if they have true playoff aspirations.
New York Jets
This is another tough game to predict. If anything, the Jets eclipsed the Steelers in the disappointment stakes by losing to the Broncos in Week 4, putting up a dismal offensive performance. Still, plenty of fans believe the Jets will kick into gear sooner rather than later. We will see what Aaron Rodgers brings to the table in the coming weeks and which Steelers quarterback he’s up against.
New York Giants
The Steelers will be heavily backed in the betting odds to win this one, and anything less than a comprehensive victory will be a shock. We don’t quite know what the Steelers are going to be this season, but the Giants were predicted to be poor and have not given us any reason to think otherwise.
Washington Commanders
All five of these games are intriguing for different reasons, but the final game of the bunch might be the most interesting of all. A lot has been said about the Commanders’ great start to the season, and many believe they will run out of steam. Yet, they look good. This could be tough one for Pittsburgh traveling on the road but they will benefit from having a full week off with the bye prior: which isn’t always a good thing, given the history of Mike Tomlin’s teams following bye weeks!
Conclusion
As you can see the predictions could have the Steelers anywhere from a perfect run of five wins to splitting these games before facing the Ravens. Ideally, Pittsburgh needs to run this table and come out the other side with at least a 6-3 record. The games against the Raiders and Giants especially, should be wins. The Cowboys, Jets, and Commanders are all winnable games but anything can happen in the National Football League.
Would fans have taken a 6-3 record at the start of the season? It would have the Steelers firmly in the playoff picture, albeit with tough games to go, including a game against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. Still, predictions are just that – guesses – and perhaps the Steelers can go a little better than what we have set out above. Yet, you get the feeling that these five games could be pivotal for defining the narrative of Pittsburgh’s season.
They all look winnable, but then again, so did the game against the Colts.
