After a 6-2 start, the Pittsburgh Steelers are being branded Super Bowl contenders by those obliged to fast-forward from the bye week directly to New Orleans.
I’ll play along.
Russell Wilson at quarterback has made the offense crisp and versatile. George Pickens has been snatched off the milk carton and put in a position to make plays. Najee Harris has three straight 100-yard games. Special teams are making major impact. The defense is good, if not as good as you think it is.
It is a heady brew. There’s an air of validity that hasn’t been felt since Ben Roethlisberger retired and perhaps even a few years prior.
So, here’s what must happen for the Steelers to legitimately think about the Superdome. It’s not complicated:
• Trade for a legit No. 2 wideout by Tuesday’s trade deadline. (A deal made on that day could be contested by Donald Trump.)
• Win the AFC North.
Neither figure to happen. So, the Steelers will get knocked out in the wild-card round if they make the postseason at all.
But if the Steelers win the AFC North, they get a home game in the wild-card round. They won’t play Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen right away.
If the Steelers win their first playoff game, they might even get a home game in the divisional round if their seed is high enough and/or results fall favorably.
More sports
• Steelers’ midseason position-by position report card
• Mixing and matching of Steelers tight ends leaves opposing defenses guessing
• Pitt basketball ready to open season with a dose of physicality
The Steelers are better than last season. Wilson certainly helps. But it’s not the sort of roster that’s going to string together playoff upsets on the road. This isn’t 2005, and this Wilson isn’t that Roethlisberger.
As for the receiver quandary, the Steelers might get by with what they have.
But probably not.
Some opposing defenses will contain George Pickens. Heaven forbid he gets hurt. The Steelers offense wouldn’t be crippled. It would be dead.
The Steelers’ Super Bowl dream boils down to a simple formula. It’s non-negotiable.
Nothing else matters nearly as much as those two factors: get a receiver, win the division.
Nov. 17 at home vs. the Baltimore Ravens looms large.
Can the Steelers look that far ahead?
Heck, no. But I’m not among those prematurely daydreaming about a seventh ring.
