Do the Steelers deserve to be considered the favorite to win the AFC North?
The Steelers can lock themselves out of the AFC North by defeating the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. However, even though the Ravens have had a great run lately, winning isn’t easy. Baltimore will be motivated and they are playing a high level of football right now.
Still, even if the Steelers lose, the Ravens won’t dominate the AFC North. No matter what happens with the Ravens, the Steelers have a chance to win the division if they defeat the Chiefs and Bengals. The Ravens then have to face the Texans for the No. 3 seed in the AFC. The Browns could always surprise them again.
Of course, the Steelers will have a tougher draw against the Chiefs and Bengals than the Texans and Browns. The easiest path to the AFC North title is for the Steelers to defeat the Ravens head-on. However, Pittsburgh will be at a disadvantage on the road as they may be without players like George Pickens and TJ Watt.
That begs the question: Do the Steelers deserve to be considered the favorite to win the AFC North? Are they more likely to beat the Ravens or the Chiefs and Bengals than the Ravens? Who will have the easier road?
I think the case can be made in favor of the Ravens at this point. And I think a lot of Steelers fans don’t have good feelings about beating the Chiefs on Christmas. Even if they buy into the idea that the Steelers have the Ravens’ number, the AFC North is a strong motivator.
The Steelers last won the AFC North in 2020, and the Ravens are the defending champions. They earned the AFC’s top seed last year and advanced to the conference finals. Meanwhile, the Steelers are looking for their first postseason win since 2016. Even the Browns have won since the last time Pittsburgh faced the Steelers in the playoffs.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is currently underway after a disappointing year in which they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills have had a long offseason since coming out of their misery in January. There are bright spots, but things could go off the rails any minute now.
The biggest question plaguing the team is the quarterback issue. Will Russell Wilson get a big new contract next year?and is Justin Fields still under consideration? What will the team do next? Address the depth chartsurprisingly still in flux?
After several weeks of training camp and preseason games, the regular season has arrived. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings, trades, and releases. More than usual, they seemed confident in creating holes and confident in their ability to fill them. Some were buried, some not so much. But now that we have so many pieces to the puzzle, we just have to ask new questions.
