Tomlin, Steelers As Consistent As Ever

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. They are starting quarterback Justin Fields , the second of two passers brought in this offseason. Multiple rookie offensive linemen have taken on starting roles, and guard Spencer Anderson has joined them after a single snap a year ago.

And yet, Pittsburgh looks eerily similar to last season.

The Steelers visited the Rocky Mountains on Sunday and came away with an ugly 13-6 win over the Denver Broncos, epitomizing the type of win head coach Mike Tomlin has earned in recent years.

Pittsburgh generated just 117 yards through the air and ran the ball 36 times. Through two weeks, the Steelers are undefeated.

Is it an unsustainable way to win games? Yes. Has that stopped Tomlin before? Of course not.

Adversity is inevitable. Injuries will mount and a quarterback change feels cosmically unavoidable, even if Fields has played well enough to hold onto the starting job for the time being. It’s just a way of life in Western Pennsylvania, and in joining the Steelers, both Fields and Russell Wilson signed up for that experience.

Regardless, Pittsburgh remains on its trek to nine wins. After the start its AFC North rivals have endured, that may be enough for another trip to the playoffs.

The Cleveland Browns don’t trust quarterback Deshaun Watson, and he hasn’t given them any reason to. Both the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are winless through two weeks. Part of that can be attributed to the Kansas City Chiefs, but both have shown cracks in the foundation, too, losing to far inferior teams in their other contests.

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This bodes well for a Pittsburgh team that will hope the division cannibalizes itself, weakening the pack of Wild Card contenders. With so few 0-2 teams making the playoffs in recent years, the chances of both Baltimore and Cincinnati cracking the top seven teams in the AFC is slim.

The path is paved for the Steelers to sneak back into the January dance. Through two weeks, it feels like that’s their destiny once again.