The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to a 3-1 start and currently sit atop a struggling AFC North. With the Baltimore Ravens floundering, Pittsburgh has a clear path to winning the division. Notably, all AFC North teams (other than the Steelers, who were on a bye) went winless this past week. It's hard to imagine a better start to the season.
However, I don't think anyone would consider them a true Super Bowl contender, and it doesn't sound like Mike Tomlin does either. The head coach responded simply when asked about the other AFC North squads.
"I don't care what happened with other people, particularly last weekend," Tomlin said Tuesday, via NFL.com. It's about us coming off the bye and getting ready for our game this week. I'm not a big-picture guy."
Some may interpret this as Tomlin solely being focused on the task at hand. However, others could interpret this as a lack of confidence in the Steelers' ability to compete at the highest level. Undoubtedly, coaches are focused on the big picture, especially if they have Super Bowl aspirations. Conversely, linebacker Alex Highsmith acknowledged this as an opportunity for the Steelers.
“I was watching every AFC North game I watched,” Highsmith said. “It was nice to see those teams lose this week. So we got to take advantage of it.”
Whether Tomlin wants to admit it or not, this is a massive opportunity for the Steelers.
The Steelers are far from Super Bowl contenders despite a snake-bitten division
Most people believed that the Ravens were a shoo-in to win the division and clear Super Bowl contenders before the season started. However, Baltimore's poor defense and injuries have plummeted their contention chances already. Furthermore, Joe Burrow's injury opens up even more opportunities for the Steelers. Pittsburgh should be eager to take advantage of this, like Highsmith discussed.
Despite having three wins, though, none of them have been all that impressive. First, the Steelers beat the winless New York Jets by two points, then they beat the New England Patriots by a touchdown despite forcing five turnovers and, finally, they beat the Minnesota Vikings in an international game without their starting quarterback. None of this screams Super Bowl contender.
Plus, outside of D.K. Metcalf, their offense lacks high-quality weapons and an explosive element. Aaron Rodgers turns 42 in December, and while he's been better than last season, he's far from an elite QB at this stage of his career.
Frankly, Tomlin and the Steelers are used to teams like this. Tomlin has famously never had a losing season since becoming the Steelers' coach in 2007. But despite that success, and two 12-plus win seasons over that time, Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since 2017. While the Steelers are off to a hot start and will likely be a playoff team, it seems like everyone knows it's fool's gold.