Steelers pass all tests to be 8-0 through the halfway point of the season
The Postponement
What should have been a marquee matchup early in the year for the NFL, the unintended postponement created a greater excitement. Set to play in week four, the Steelers had to replace the initial meeting vs. the Tennessee Titans for an early bye week as they became the first NFL team to be affected by the virus. Although their circumstance limited their ability to be with each other, Tennessee was a still major threat. If Pittsburgh wanted to make a statement & garner respect, a good start would be against the only other undefeated team in the league at the time. A nail-biter of an ending, they would hold off Tennessee in Nashville, 27-24, & belief flared.
The Convincing
Although the victory was solid for the Steelers, was it a fluke? Could they advance on the road & take on their top rival? A stingy Baltimore Ravens unit, all things that proceeded up to this game seemed to be in a queue for the result. Was Pittsburgh just parading on lowly teams throughout the year & had luck play into the end of the week before? They needed that convincing & although M&T Bank Stadium held only 4,000 people that day, the pressure felt like max capacity. Unable to get much going offensively initially, the defense held up long enough for Ben & company to route the Ravens 21-7 in the second half, leading to a 28-24 victory.
The Trap Game
If you could list the world’s greatest mysteries, the Steelers in a trap game doesn’t escape the top three. For whatever desire they leech off to develop an unnecessary amount of anxiety as a fan, we all wish it to end. All odds & numbers suggested Pittsburgh wouldn’t struggle against the 2-6 Dallas Cowboys, but any given Sunday, right? A season-low in points scored, the Steelers edged by on a game-winning drive, beating “America’s Team,” 24-19, surviving their annual trap game.
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Eight new questions now await. Feeling like they have gone through every experience needed so far to identify themselves as a team & the legitimacy of their rank, it’s still not enough. Already facing an immediate obstacle regarding the recent news of positive COVID-19 tests on the team, what will the second half of the season have in store for the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers & how will they respond?