The Pittsburgh Steelers came out of their 2022 Week 9 bye looking like a different team. The offensive line played more cohesively, Kenny Pickett was taking care of the ball, and Najee Harris found his groove. Oh, and T.J. Watt returned from an eight-week injury absence.
This season, it’s a similar song. The offense needs to come out scoring, and the defense — most notably the secondary — must keep opponents from doing the same.
Outside of divisional Bengals, Browns and Ravens foes, the 3-2 Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, and 3-1 Seattle Seahawks currently pose the most significant threats in the dozen remaining games of the regular season.
Pittsburgh’s modus operandi has been to keep games painfully close, so it’s hard to imagine destroying any of their opponents. No matter how they’re achieved, wins are critical this time of year.
After starting last season 2-6, the Steelers won seven of their final nine matchups to finish one game above .500. Can they repeat their magical post-bye week run this season and perhaps even do one better — make it to the playoffs?
If they look anything like they did in the first five weeks, the answer is a resounding no. But if Pickett can find composure in the pocket while executing the adjustments Mike Tomlin and Matt Canada (hopefully) made, and the secondary can be more consistent, it’s possible.
