A fan's guide to defending the Pittsburgh Steelers' honor at mid-season
By Cory Rogers
The next time someone says...
"The Steelers will fold like a cheap suit down the stretch and not make the playoffs"
You should respond by pointing out the following information I've collected for you:
While still having four division games to play in the hotly-contested AFC North — in which all four teams are at least two games above .500 after week nine for the first time since the NFL moved to its current four-team division alignment in 2002 — the Steelers always play their division rivals tough and their non-division schedule over the back half of their campaign should keep them in the hunt for a playoff berth deep into the season.
Of the 11 teams in the AFC who currently have a .500 or better record, only Houston has an easier slate of remaining games based on their opponent's current record, and it's by the slimmest of margins. The Texans (4-4) have nine games remaining against teams that have posted a 31-35 overall record (.470), while the Steelers have nine games remaining against teams that have recorded a 32-36 overall mark (.471).
Taking it one step further, Pittsburgh’s remaining non-division games consist of five teams — Green Bay, Arizona, New England, Indianapolis, and Seattle — that have posted a combined 15-28 record (.349) thus far. That's the easiest non-division schedule of any team on the list by far, with Houston being a distant second (.439 non-division opponent winning percentage). In addition, the Steelers' only non-division opponent remaining with a winning record at the moment is the Seahawks (5-3).
On the other hand, AFC North leader Baltimore (7-2) has three non-division games left against teams over .500 and their eight remaining opponents have a winning percentage of .585 (38-27), which is the second-highest. The Ravens also have three games left against teams that are currently leading their division.
Cincinnati (5-3) also has three games left against non-division teams over .500 and three games remaining against current division leaders. The Bengals’ remaining opponents sport a 43-25 record (.632) thus far, by far the most difficult slate of the group.
Cleveland (5-3) faces five teams over .500 the last half of the season, but that includes just two non-division foes. Their non-division slate is the third easiest (.449) of the group.
AFC Playoff Hopeful | Past Games Opp. Winning Pct. | Record vs Div. Leaders | Remaining Games vs. Div. Leaders | Remaining Opp. Win Pct. | Remaining non-division opp. win pct. | Home/Away Games left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kansas City (7-2) | .538 (35-30) | 2-1 | 1 | .508 (30-29) | .535 (23-20) | 4/4 |
Baltimore (7-2) | .514 (38-36) | 2-0 | 3 | .585 (38-27) | .561 (23-18) | 5/3 |
Jacksonville (6-2) | .557 (34-27) | 1-1 | 2 | .508 (33-32) | .531 (26-23) | 5/4 |
Miami (6-3) | .456 (31-37) | 0-2 | 1 | .542 (32-27) | .535 (23-20) | 5/3 |
Pittsburgh (5-3) | .552 (37-30) | 1-2 | 2 | .471 (32-26) | .349 (15-28) | 4/5 |
Cleveland (5-3) | .522 (35-32) | 1-2 | 2 | .527 (39-35) | .449 (22-27) | 4/5 |
Cincinnati (5-3) | .500 (34-34) | 2-1 | 3 | .632 (43-25) | .605 (26-17) | 5/4 |
Buffalo (5-4) | .474 (36-40) | 1-1 | 3 | .576 (38-28) | .634 (26-15) | 4/4 |
Houston (4-4) | .542 (39-33) | 2-1 | 1 | .470 (31-35) | .439 (18-23) | 5/4 |
L.A. Chargers (4-4) | .522 (36-33) | 0-2 | 3 | .536 (37-32) | .535 (23-20) | 5/4 |
N.Y. Jets (4-4) | .522 (36-330 | 1-1 | 2 | .486 (34-36) | .488 (21-22) | 4/5 |
dark. Next. 5 major changes the Steelers need to implement during their break. 5 major changes the Steelers need to implement during their break
So, don't let the haters get you down. Keep watching and supporting this young group of Steelers. If they can keep finding ways to stack wins together, their confidence will build and they'll improve to where they're playing their best football when they need to the most.