The Pittsburgh Steelers started the season 4-1 and appeared poised to win the AFC North.
Aaron Rodgers looked good early in the season. He led the Steelers to a 34-32 win over the Jets in Week 1. Rodgers looked good in the wins against the Patriots, Vikings, Browns, and even in a loss to the Bengals.
Pittsburgh’s defense is the reason they lost in weeks 2, 7, and 8.
However, as the season has gone on, Aaron Rodgers is showing his age. He has looked awful the last three weeks.
Pittsburgh had a big lead in the AFC North, but it is now down to a one-game lead.
Pittsburgh Steelers AFC North Lead Fading
After week 7, the Baltimore Ravens had a record of 1-5. The Steelers were 4-2 after week 7.
Pittsburgh had a great chance to take control of the division early in the year. However, they have lost three of their last four games.
It has been a mix of one game, the offense looks terrible, and one game, the defense looks terrible.
However, in the last three weeks, the offense has looked bad.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are soaring, winning three straight games. Here is how the AFC North standings look after week 10:
- 1. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
- 2. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
- 3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
- 4. Cleveland Browns (2-7)
Pittsburgh and Baltimore still play against each other twice this season. As long as Lamar Jackson is healthy, the Ravens have by far the superior team.
Baltimore In Full Control Of The AFC North
Despite still trailing the Steelers by one game, the Ravens are in complete control of the AFC North.
With the Ravens still facing the Steelers twice this season, they control the division.
Lamar Jackson is back and healthy, which makes the Ravens a force.
They are an offensive juggernaut with Jackson under center.
The schedule for Baltimore is fairly easy for the remainder of the season.
- Week 11: @ Cleveland Browns
- Week 12: vs New York Jets
- Week 13: vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 14: vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Week 15: @ Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 16: vs New England Patriots
- Week 17: @ Green Bay Packers
- Week 18: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore will be favored in all but one game. Their week 17 game on the road against Green Bay may be the only game the Ravens could be slight underdogs. However, if the Ravens are soaring, they could be favored against the Packers.
The Ravens will be favored at home against the Patriots as they should enter the game with a 9-5 record.
Only two tough contests remain on the schedule, but Baltimore may be favored in each remaining game.
The best case for the Ravens is a 12-5 record. The absolute worst-case scenario appears to be a record of 10-7.
All this is contingent on Lamar Jackson remaining healthy. As long as he is healthy, the Ravens will continue to soar.
Steelers Remaining Schedule
Unlike Baltimore, the Steelers have a challenging schedule.
- Week 11: vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 12: @ Chicago Bears
- Week 13: vs Buffalo Bills
- Week 14: @ Baltimore Ravens
- Week 15: vs Miami Dolphins
- Week 16: @ Detroit Lions
- Week 17: @ Cleveland Browns
- Week 18: vs Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh is going to lose in weeks 13, 14, 16, and 18. They do not match up well with the Ravens, Bills, or Lions. On the road against the Bears is a toss-up, but the Steelers will likely be underdogs in that contest as well.
Pittsburgh may win just three more games this season. This would put them at 8-9 and would be Mike Tomlin’s first-ever losing season as the head coach of the Steelers.
If the Steelers beat the Bears, they would be 9-8 and save Tomlin’s record, which at this point is the only thing he cares about, as he and the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016.
At 9-8, Pittsburgh is in a lot of danger of missing the postseason.
Either way, Steelers fans will have to wait longer for a postseason victory. This has a lot to do with the regression of Aaron Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers Getting Worse As Season Goes On
To begin the year, Rodgers looked good. He was the main reason why Pittsburgh defeated the Jets, Vikings, and Browns. Rodgers looked very good against a dreadful Bengals defense in a loss.
Since that week 7 loss, Rodgers has looked dreadful.
In a week 8 loss against the Packers, the Steelers were outscored 28-9 in the second half.
Pittsburgh defeated the Colts 27-20 in week 9, but needed six turnovers to win by just seven points. Rodgers looked poor in the win. He went 25/35 for 203 passing yards and a passing TD. He had 5.8 yards per attempt.
Rodgers may have had his worst game of his career in a 25-10 week 10 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. He missed wide-open players for a TD. Rodgers looked frustrated all game. He took a safety that a rookie would do. He went 16/31 for 161 passing yards, one passing TD, and two interceptions. Jaylen Warren was getting it done on the ground. He averaged 5.0 yards per rush attempt. Rodgers looked awful all game.
Steelers fans worry this is Russell Wilson all over again. Wilson started well last year, winning games and looking good before collapsing big time in the final five weeks of the season and in the postseason.
Steelers Need To Blow Things Up
Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since 2016. This appears to be another season of no playoff wins.
Changes need to be made. They have been trying to do the same stuff for years without any success.
Mike Tomlin’s time has run out in Pittsburgh. He loves saying “the standard is the standard”, but the standard lately is trying to avoid a losing season and getting trounced in the wild-card round.
Teryl Austin has to go as well as Tomlin. The Steelers need a completely new defensive scheme. Pittsburgh is so predictable on both sides of the ball.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Steelers want Rodgers to return next season, but this would be a colossal error. They need to find their franchise QB, and bringing back Rodgers for another season is just repeating the same old thing.
Pittsburgh needs to pull the trigger and make massive changes, or nothing will improve.
