Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Could Win the AFC North

It has been three seasons since the Pittsburgh Steelers last won the AFC North, and truth be told, topping the division in 2024 will be an uphill battle for sure. The Steelers are without doubt in the most difficult division in the AFC and with all other teams capable of making the playoffs.

Last season, the AFC North was once again well represented in the postseason with Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh all going through. And, while Cincinnati missed out, it was not because of weaknesses but because they had lost Joe Burrow for the entire second half of the season. None of the other three teams have gotten significantly worse which means the task is still a daunting one for Pittsburgh considering they have the most difficult schedule in the league this year.

However, all hope is not lost for a franchise struggling to get back to dominant ways. First of all, in order to win a division, the most important thing is to do well against the division rivals. Mike Tomlin has generally fared well against all three teams. While Tomlin has a 19-16 record against Baltimore, he has basically owned the Browns and the Bengals up until Joe Burrow took over in Cincy. Even so, Tomlin and the Steelers went 5-1 last year against the AFC North.

Moving along, Pittsburgh made huge changes to their quarterback room by letting go of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky and replacing them with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Now, Wilson may not be the QB he once was in Seattle, but he is certainly an upgrade over the previous three in 2023.

At Russell’s disposal, he has a quality wide receiver in George Pickens who is entering the third year of his career. The potential pairing of Wilson and Pickens is an exciting one that should boost the Steelers’ offense. The rest of the wide receiver room is not much to talk about but if one of them steps up, it will surely be a bonus.

As for the backfield, Najee Harris has been a consistent runner for the Steelers the past three seasons while backup Jaylen Warren had a good season himself in 2023. If Pittsburgh can get a little more from both backs, especially in the passing game, that will give them more variety to work with.

Looking at the other side of the ball, head coach Mike Tomlin continues to work his magic as he is yet to end a season with a losing record. The major reason for this is his ability to prepare his defense and get the best out of the players he has at his disposal.

The Steelers’ strongest position group by far on defense is their linebacker unit comprising of sack machine T.J. Watt. The former Defensive Player of the Year is a menace when healthy and is their best player. He is ably supported by Alex Highsmith and the unit is further improved with the addition of Patrick Queen who had an outstanding season with the Ravens last year.

The secondary which will need some more players to step up still consists of three-time First-team All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety and top corner Joey Porter Jr. who is expected to take a big leap in Year 2.

Even though winning the AFC North is a huge challenge, the Pittsburgh Steelers are led by one of the finest coaches in the game and have enough quality to pose a threat.

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