Ranking Steelers and their rivals by chances to win AFC North

2nd: Pittsburgh Steelers

Here is where we find the team of the hour. Pittsburgh’s placement on this list does not solely fall on its own condition, but also the conditions of both the names listed below them.

Our most recent frames of reference when looking at all of these teams are the notes they ended their seasons on, and that is exactly what makes the Steelers so appealing when discussing the 2023-24 stretch.

Both offensively and defensively, the Steelers had a tough time establishing an identity during the first half of their 2022-23 run. This was mainly due to two things: on offense, the problems with committing to a quarterback; on defense, T.J. Watt getting hurt.

Now we’ve already addressed both of those matters in the past, but it is worth reminding you that as Pittsburgh got them handled, the team’s on-field results took a sharp turn for the better. Looking at their schedule, the Steelers turned things almost completely around, going 7-2 after starting 2-6. The newfound success was so strong that they almost made a playoff run with it.

When you’re carrying that kind of momentum into the fall while two of your rivals continuously fail to meet their own expectations, climbing up to second place in your division feels almost like a guarantee. But that still leaves one team sitting at the top.