A couple of weeks ago, I was optimistic about the Steelers and where they stood as a team. I took this stance in spite of them suffering what was visibly an avoidable loss to the Indianapolis Colts, arguing that the performance still showed their ability to hold their own on both sides of the ball.
Little did I know, however, that such optimistic babbling would come right before another avoidable loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which effectively put our positive record in jeopardy as we headed into Las Vegas to take on the Raiders.
As one can surely imagine, the rivalry game began with me in the same boat that everyone else had already boarded: Having the ability to win a game means nothing if you can’t actually do it. In other words, I had zero confidence in the thought of Pittsburgh securing victory…and I have never been happier to be wrong.
There’s simply no straighter way to shoot it—the Steelers downright dominated the Raiders. What was once a 7-3 lead for our Western foes had become a 29-7 deficit in the blink of an eye, thanks to Pittsburgh exhibiting both an unstoppable rushing attack and a defensive effort that had been missing in prior weeks (which had felt like decades by this point).
Not only that but just when the Raiders had finally added to their tally, Pittsburgh tacked on another Chris Boswell field goal that re-established its three-possession edge and brought the final count to 32-13.
Now, why was I so dramatic throughout that recap? Because that’s honestly how it felt to see such a rejuvenating Steelers dub. But putting all poetry aside, this was still a much-needed moment for Pittsburgh, as it said a lot about their ability to overcome adversity, along with reminding everyone that you can never count the Steelers out.
Speaking of which, I certainly wouldn’t do so for the immediate future, as their next two games are some of the easiest on their schedule.
Hope is alive for the Pittsburgh Steelers
This upcoming Sunday will see the Steelers take on the New York Jets before facing the New York Giants eight days later. With both of those teams having worse starts than Pittsburgh and having to go on the road, there’s no good reason to see anything other than winning for the time being.
“But Austin, weren’t we just talking about Pittsburgh’s tendency to lose games it shouldn’t?” Yes, yes we were. But, there’s a difference between the two losses Pittsburgh already has and the ones they could be dealt by the Jets and Giants.
And I stand by that, even with the 47-9 dismembering the Cowboys just suffered in Dallas; that result doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been a better-built/more-proven team in recent memory overall.
In short, the Steelers definitely could lose, but even with their previous drops in consistency, all we can do is go off of what they’ve most recently shown. With that said, if they give us half as good of a game against each of the NY teams at home as they gave us against the Raiders in Vegas, they should undoubtedly be strolling into Washington with a handsome 6-2 record.
From there, things get a bit more difficult, as the Commanders are 4-2, their offense is phenomenal, and they serve as the final chapter before Pittsburgh is dealt a heaping stretch of divisional play—but hey, that’s for another time.
Right now, it’s just good to know that the momentum the Steelers caught through their first few games hasn’t dissipated, and by the halfway point in their regular season, they should still be standing as a formidable force in the AFC.