Never Count Out the Pittsburgh Steelers

After starting 2-0, everyone was hyping up the Cincinnati Bengals, rightfully so; they defeated two solid NFL teams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans). With how well they played and how poorly the Steelers played, reporters and fans wrote the Steelers off.

Not one NFL.com analyst gave the Steelers a shot, and honestly, that wasn’t ridiculous. The Steelers had scored just one offensive touchdown in eight quarters of football and didn’t look like a competent NFL team. Sure, the defense was playing well, but that only goes so far when the offense is not scoring.

The Bengals defense had been playing their best football in a while through the first two games of the season. They held the Texans to just six points the week prior and forced four turnovers in week one versus the Buccaneers. Coming into a matchup with an offense that scored just one touchdown and a handful of field goals in the first two weeks, this looked like a disaster waiting to happen. 

https://twitter.com/DraftKings/status/2103508147294052446?s=20

Old Pals Turn Back the Clock

Nope, not even close. Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy turned back the clock. The Steelers offense looked dominant. It started before the game, when the Steelers announced they would reshape the offensive line. They went with the rookie Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman to complete the entire right side of the line. 

This proved effective from the very first drive of the game. Rodgers orchestrated an almost perfect drive, capping off with a 38-yard passing touchdown to Roman Wilson. The Steelers’ offensive line played their best all season, and maybe the best since Rodgers has been the team’s quarterback. 

This change also paved the way for running back Jaylen Warren, who had one of the best games of his career. He had a career-best 176 yards from scrimmage and was robbed of an 87-yard rush because of a questionable holding penalty. 

Lastly, the defense held up against a powerful Cincinnati offense. While there were hiccups, the defense played well enough to complement the offense. On the Bengals’ final drive, Burrow worked the team up to the 38 and a half yard line before being sacked by Derrick Harmon and fumbling the game away. 

After a hectic game, which almost no one expected, the Steelers confirmed they are a competitive team. They did not give up as easily as a lot of fans did and were able to adjust and fix their glaring issues from previous weeks. 

“I thought Mike called a really good game. I thought we were aggressive from the start,” Rodgers said. “We put in Brock and Max…I thought they played well”. 

The same team that had one of the worst NFL offenses flipped the script and delivered one of the week’s best offensive performances. 

Looking Ahead

The Steelers have a quick turnaround as they head to Cleveland to take on the Browns on Thursday Night Football. Another key AFC North matchup, especially considering all four teams currently sit at 2-1. The Steelers have struggled away, on TNF and against divisional opponents dating back to 1950. An important game very early in the season, with the Steelers looking to start the season 2-0 against the always tough AFC North.

Looking past the Browns, the Steelers have some favorable quarterback matchups. Assuming the defense continues playing as well as they are, the Steelers should be able to stack a few wins together over the month of October. 

A team that was at the bottom of the league statistically and, in almost everyone’s opinion, is now leading their division and may have completely turned their season around in just one week. You really can never count out the football team in Pittsburgh.