Steelers head out of their bye with a massive win in Week 5 despite Pittsburgh not playing a game

The Steelers have an opportunity in front of them that they cannot squander. They play the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 before taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 on Thursday night. If they can win both of those games, with the way the Baltimore Ravens are playing and no Joe Burrow in Cincy, the Steelers can put a chokehold on the division lead before Halloween.

Maybe that sounds hyperbolic, but the Bengals cannot win without Joe Burrow. The Ravens can have Lamar Jackson or Dan Marino at quarterback, and it still wouldn't matter with how bad their defense is. As for the Browns, well we know they are the Browns.

So if you're the Steelers, you cannot waste what's in front of you. Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin cannot afford to play down to their competition the way they have for the past decade. Pittsburgh has to keep its foot on the gas and aim for the division crown.

In order to see what an outside observer thinks of the Steelers' chances, I reached out to Adam Holt who helps cover the AFC North at A to Z Sports.

Steelers can't afford to get comfortable

"In the NFL, it’s tough to have an awesome weekend when you don’t hit the gridiron. That’s exactly how the Steelers probably feel right now, though. They had an early bye week to give some rest to banged up players and possibly get some back from injury in Week 6."

"Additionally, the entire AFC North embarrassed themselves in some capacity. The Ravens were completely lifeless on both sides of the football against Houston. Without Lamar Jackson and key defensive starters, they are no threat in the division. The Browns blew a late lead to the Vikings to begin action on Sunday morning. The Bengals are still having major issues on defense, and their offense looks much weaker with Jake Browning at quarterback. He’s turning the ball over a ton, and that’s a trend, not an anomaly now."

"Pittsburgh can’t sit back and get comfortable here, though. They need to continue winning games they should and find ways to improve their roster in smart ways at the trade deadline, especially in the secondary and at potentially wide receiver depth." - Holt

So it feels like their is alignment here. The Steelers have to grab the bull by the horns. They have to pounce instead of play with their food. That starts with showing they can beat inferior opponents the next two weeks.