Just two weeks ago, some if not all Steeler fans were conceding the 2013 season, chalking it up as a loss and as a rebuilding year. Some were even wondering if the Steelers should just tank the season and play for a higher draft pick. Although they would obviously never admit to this, it is now obvious the Steelers are not taking that route. And all of a sudden the AFC North (and yes I know the Bengals are 5-2) is looking pretty mediocre, and that is being kind.
Again, yes Cincinnati somehow is 5-2, but they are the Bengals. Andy Dalton is inconsistent, Marvin Lewis is still their coach, the Steelers second game with them is in Pittsburgh and the Bengals still have two games remaining with Baltimore, travel to Miami and San Diego, and host Indianapolis, the Jets, and the Vikings. Heck even the Browns usually play them tough. So this isn’t going to be a waltz to the division title for the Bengals. The Steelers will definitely have to beat them at home, but the big picture, as crazy as it may seem, Pittsburgh is back in this thing.
Let’s take a look at Baltimore. As we all already know, these are not last year’s Ravens. They are not a pushover by any means, but they’re not that great either and Joe Flacco seems to be regressing from his great playoff run, which happens to a lot of QBs, but I digress. Getting back on track, the Ravens still have games at Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati (might actually have to root for the Ravens in that one), and host the Jets, Vikings, Patriots and Bengals once again.
The only for sure W left is probably this coming Sunday at Cleveland, regardless if Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell, Tim Tebow or Brian Sipe starts for the Browns. Oh, and have I mentioned yet the Steelers have two games with the Browns still? So that puts Pittsburgh hypothetically at 4-4 right now. That leaves games at Oakland, vs. Buffalo, vs. Detroit, at Baltimore, vs. Miami, and vs. Cincinnati that are all realistically winnable games. Games at Green Bay and New England could be looked at as conceded losses, if you had to pick a couple that were unfavorable. But heck, even the Bengals and Jets have beaten New England, so you never know.
As crazy as it may have sounded a couple weeks ago, this team could possibly go 9-7, and dare I say 10-6. I know the Raiders could just totally blow this article up next week, as they have played the Steelers well in recent years. They not only played them well, but beat Pittsburgh in 2012, and back in ’09, a game which was all but the nail in the coffin to the Steelers playoff hopes. So, if the Steelers can get this game in Oakland, that would be a three-game winning streak, and would put the Steelers past the Browns in the AFC North standings, barring a miracle Cleveland win vs. Baltimore.
With the potential emergence of rookie Le’Veon Bell giving the Steelers a legitimate running game once again, eight different players catching a pass vs. the Ravens, the D holding Ray Rice to 45 yards, Ben Roethlisberger having a 107.2 rating and winning a division game at home, things are looking up. The Steelers might still be down when you look at the standings right now, but they are not out. And they are definitely not tanking, that’s something this franchise would never do.
They are still proud, have some talent, the potential for a three-game winning streak, the AFC North is weak and their remaining schedule, at least on paper, appears friendly. All ingredients that could cook up an improbable, memorable, and historical turnaround.
