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Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 reasons they’ll return to playoffs

By Rucker Haringey

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 14: Ben Roethlisberger
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 14: Ben Roethlisberger /
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CHICAGO, IL- DECEMBER 24: Bear fans before the game “nbetween the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns on December 24, 2017 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
CHICAGO, IL- DECEMBER 24: Bear fans before the game “nbetween the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns on December 24, 2017 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

3. A weak AFC North

With all due respect to the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, they do not exactly comprise the strongest division in the NFL. The fact that Pittsburgh gets to play two times against this trio gives it a heads up in the race to make the playoffs.

Cleveland fans would like to believe their beloved franchise will be in the hunt for a playoff berth this season, but that’s unlikely. They’ll actually win a game this season, but it’s very unlikely they’ll sniff .500.

The Bengals finished 7-9 last year, but haven’t done anything to significantly upgrade their roster. Andy Dalton, after all, is still Cincinnati’s starting quarterback. They may struggle to stay as close to .500 as they finished last year. At any rate, they shouldn’t be any threat to the Steelers’ supremacy in the division.

That leaves only the Ravens as legitimate competitors for the division crown. No offense piloted by Joe Flacco should be good enough to challenge the Steelers defense. They have the ability to knock off Pittsburgh when they play head-to-head, but they lack the talent to mount a serious challenge for the playoffs. Look for the Steelers’ division dreams to be aided greatly by the lack of legitimate threats.

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