Pittsburgh Steelers predicted to be among the ‘AFC’s elite’ in 2020

Can the Pittsburgh Steelers get back to being a contender this season?

This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be attempting to avoid something that hasn’t happened to the franchise in two decades.

The 2000 season was the last time the Steelers had gone three-straight years without an appearance in the playoffs. With Pittsburgh missing out on the postseason during each of the last two years, the urgency to end their draught should be at an extremely high this season.

As is the case for every summer before the regular season, predictions are being made and some believe the Steelers will be a playoff team once again in 2020. There are even people who think Pittsburgh’s success this season will go even beyond just clinching a spot in the playoffs.

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers be among the best in the AFC this year?

Despite the Steelers having some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL last season, they were still able to finish with a respectable 8-8 record. So getting Ben Roethlisberger back this year has multiple people believing Pittsburgh has the chance to return to being a contender in the AFC.

One person who is on board with this belief is USA Today’s Nate Davis. In his recent NFL power rankings, Davis has the Steelers sitting in the No. 5 slot and he thinks Roethlisberger returning will get the team back to being regarded as one of the, “AFC’s elite.”

The Kansas City Chiefs (1) and Baltimore Ravens (2) are the only two AFC teams who were placed ahead of Pittsburgh in the rankings. The Steelers don’t face the Chiefs during the 2020 regular season and their first opportunity to take on the Ravens is set to go down on the road in Week 7.

Will that Week 7 matchup end up featuring two of the top teams in the AFC? According to Davis’ rankings, there’s a good chance that it will.

There is a lot of optimism surrounding Pittsburgh as they head into the 2020 season. This was a team that was able to go 8-2 between Week 4 and Week 14 last season without Roethlisberger out on the field despite averaging less than 200 passing yards per contest during this time period.

With their veteran starter back under center, most believe that the Steelers’ passing attack will get back on track. If it does, there’s a good chance that Pittsburgh could live up to their expectations and become a force in the AFC once again.