Stairway to seven Super Bowls

Mike Tomlin and the Steelers enter the bye week 3-1 at the top of the AFC North division. Led by 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are looking to capitalize on a rough start by the AFC North. 

With both Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson dealing with injuries and a Browns team searching for a quarterback, the Steelers could reign as AFC North champs. It’s fairly early to predict anything like that, but something is cooking in Pittsburgh. 

A week five bye is early and sets them up for a long second half of the season. But with the flare up of injuries during their week four win against the Vikings, the Steelers could use this week to their advantage. 

The Steelers needed a game-managing quarterback.

The Steelers have waited on a quarterback who can control a game like Aaron Rodgers ever since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. Take the DK Metcalf 80-yard touchdown last week, for example. It began with a small motion in the backfield by Rodgers to read the defense and open up the space for Metcalf to catch and run. 

The Steelers have also needed some discipline within the locker room. It’s hard to act out when you have Rodgers barking down your neck and telling you how to play. During the pre-season, Rodgers spoke with the offensive line about not picking up their quarterback. This is just one of the little details that make Aaron Rodgers one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

The Steelers need another receiver.

This is the perfect time for the Steelers to shop for a second wide receiver. They need more production on offense at the wide receiver position. Behind DK Metcalf, the Steelers’ next leading receiver is running back Jaylen Warren, showing how thin the Steelers are at receiver. 

Roman Wilson is yet again struggling with getting up to NFL speed, and he continues to sit on the bench while Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek eat up important snaps. If I were the Steelers, I would try to trade for Jakobi Meyers of the Raiders or Chris Olave down in New Orleans. It’s time to go all in because there isn’t much time left in Rodgers, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey’s careers.

Season outlook

The Steelers are on top of a weak division this year because of a spate of injuries throughout the NFL. If they use their momentum to take care of the Browns and Bengals, this could put them at 5-1 to start the season. Now, with all of that said, I still see the Steelers as a 10 or 11-win team even with the early success. 

If they can get the offense moving more consistently, they can scare opponents. We have yet to see the Steelers win a blowout game or dominate a game this season. I think with the addition of a wide receiver, the Steelers could get 12 or 13 wins. 

The young Steelers offensive line still needs to block better for Rodgers, since he isn’t very mobile and never was. He can’t continue to take these hits, and if the Steelers want a shot at the division, they need to better protect their quarterback. If they keep him healthy and the defense continues to improve, the Pittsburgh Steelers will win the AFC North this season.