Pittsburgh Steelers Remain Undefeated but Far from AFC’s Best

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

A simple “scoreboard” response used to be the ultimate mic drop when it came to any sports-related activity or argument. Wins are wins, and victors shouldn’t apologize for their success. Context is important in all regards, though

The Pittsburgh Steelers escaped with a 19-14 victory over a depleted Baltimore Ravens squad. What looked like a blowout on paper was far closer and more difficult than it should have been. As such, Pittsburgh’s 11th win comes across as a loss. 

“We make no excuses. We seek no comfort. We didn’t play well tonight,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the contest.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger added, “I don’t know. I don’t want to make excuses. We just weren’t good—good enough at all. We won today, but it doesn’t feel like it.”

More importantly, Pittsburgh’s undefeated record probably won’t hold up against the AFC’s best. 

Regular-seasons wins are great, and the Steelers have knocked down every opponent so far. But not all schedules and on-field performances are created equal. 

So far, the Steelers won three games against opponents with records above .500. For comparison, the Chiefs claim four victories over opponents with a winning record. But two of Pittsburgh’s quality wins came against the same Ravens squad the Steelers barely beat Wednesday despite Baltimore being severely depleted due to a COVID-19 outbreak in its facility. 

Plus, the depth found within the division will be difficult to handle.

The Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns are all tough outs based on how they’ve played as of late. Let’s not forget, the Titans had a chance to tie the Steelers during their Week 7 meeting, but the usually reliable Stephen Gostkowski missed the 45-yard attempt. The Browns, meanwhile, will have a chance to redeem themselves from an early embarrassment when the division rivals meet in Week 17 with a potential undefeated regular-season record on the line. 

Unlike the NFC, the AFC is loaded. Despite a single loss, the Chiefs are still the reigning Super Bowl champs with the best player in professional football behind center. They have weapons galore with a juggernaut-like offensive approach. Kansas City deserves recognition as the NFL’s best until it can no longer defend last season’s title. 

Pittsburgh must be wary of others mentioned earlier as well. The Titans and Browns running games are something to see, especially as of late. Like the Steelers, the Colts feature a top-five defense and a veteran quarterback capable of putting the team in the right situation. The Bills offense is on par with Pittsburgh’s, and those two squads are destined for what could turn out to be a season-defining matchup in Week 14. 

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

In fact, three of those teams just mentioned are still on the Steelers’ remaining docket. If Pittsburgh loses any of them, the Chiefs will immediately leapfrog it, not only as the AFC’s top team but the entire NFL. Its current status is out of respect for the team’s record, not its overall performance. 

As Tomlin stated, the Steelers understand they weren’t any good Wednesday, and the things found within the performance should have Pittsburgh faithful worried despite the record. 

Before going any further, the fact Baltimore didn’t have quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, wide receiver Willie Snead IV, fullback Patrick Ricard center Patrick Mekari, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, outside linebacker Matthew Judon and running backs Melvin Ingram and J.K. Dobbins should be mentioned, because Pittsburgh’s inability to run the football, get into any rhythm with the passing game and allow third-string quarterback Trace McSorely to keep the game close until the end was simply appalling. 

Four major weaknesses surfaced in Pittsburgh’s previously untarnished armor. 

An injury to Bud Dupree should be the biggest concern moving forward. Dupree collapsed on the field with what appeared to be a knee injury. He hobbled off the field and into the locker room, but he didn’t return and how the injury happened didn’t look good. The outside linebacker immediately collapsed and pounded the turf despite not being touched by the offensive lineman. 

“He got hurt; he is being evaluated. I am sure I will have an update for you tomorrow,” Tomlin told reporters. 

The 27-year-old veteran played as well this season as he has at any point in his career. His potential absence will allow offenses to concentrate even more on slowing T.J. Watt. If Dupree misses any time whatsoever, the Steelers won’t have a proven commodity opposite Watt to win one-on-one matchups when protection schemes slide in the direction of the league’s leading sack artist. 

As good as the Steelers secondary is, Terrell Edmunds tends to stick out like a sore thumb. Minkah Fitzpatrick is the most instinctive safety in football. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are opportunistic corners well-suited for Pittsburgh’s coverage schemes. Edmunds can be a liability at times. He’ll take bad angles, miss tackles and fail in coverage. His poor angle and inability to identify the ball allowed Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown to score a 70-yard touchdown and keep the outcome in doubt. 

Offensively, the inconsistency found among Pittsburgh’s young wide receiver corps can be disheartening. Officially, Roesthliberger’s targets dropped five passes Wednesday, per Pro Football Focus. Though the number might be generous because numbers tosses fell to the ground after hitting receivers’ hands due to outright drops, poor adjustments or slightly off-target throws. 

When JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are dialed in, they’re nearly impossible to spot. But up-and-down play comes with three wide receivers who are all 24 years old or younger. 

Roethlisberger didn’t help his case. The Ravens took a different approach by playing coverage instead of throwing numerous pressure packages at the 38-year-old signal-caller. For example, Baltimore blitzed only three times in the first half which helped slow and even shut down the Steelers’ quick passing attack, per NFL Next Gen Stats. 

Yet, Pittsburgh is forced to use the passing game as an extension of the run game because the team’s backs aren’t productive. The Steelers entered Wednesday’s contest as the league’s third-worst rushing attack. They didn’t help matters with a 68-yard performance against the Ravens. Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. averaged 3.6 yards per carry. 

Don Wright/Associated Press

Thus, Roethlisberger was forced to throw the ball 51 times. In fact, the veteran threw at least 42 passes in five of the Steelers’ last six games. 

An argument can be made injuries, especially among Pittsburgh’s front five, don’t help matters. But all teams are injured to some degree. The Ravens were absolutely obliterated this week due to injuries and the virus, and they continued to compete despite everything. 

A team with the Steelers record shouldn’t be this easy to pick apart. An undefeated performance this late in the campaign indicates a dominant squad. Pittsburgh is far from dominant and ripe for an upset loss. Once that occurs, the AFC’s true top squads will assume their position atop the conference. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.