Big Ben has the Pittsburgh Steelers Rolling
The Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t really on anybody’s radar at the beginning of the 2020-2021 NFL season. With teams like the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints in the picture, along with others like Aaron Rodgers’ Packers or Tom Brady’s Buccaneers, the Steelers were honestly just one of the bunch in the NFL.
However, after 8 complete weeks in the regular season, and hand with hand with league veteran Ben Roethlisberger, NFL’s best and only undefeated team, 7-0 record and this after beating two of the league’s other best teams, the Tennessee Titans in week 7, who were also undefeated back then, and now also the Baltimore Ravens, favorites to win the AFC along with the Chiefs, and division arch-rivals, by the way.
It is now time to start considering Pittsburgh’s quality and experience and taking them seriously while we head into the second half of the season.
Who have been the Steelers opponents so far in the season?
Remember that the Steelers already had their bye week early in the season, in week 4, unexpected, but it was due to Covid-19 reasons, therefore their record is 7-0 after 8 weeks played.
The Steelers beat the New York Giants first, with a 26-16 score as visitors. Next opponent was Denver Broncos at home, Heinz Field, the score there was 26-21. The Houston Texans visited in week 3 and it was also a close game, which ended 28-21.
In week 5 the Philadelphia Eagles visited the Steelers, and the score was 38-29 for the home team, which is, by the way, the max they have scored in a single game this season, this time in week 5 and then the next week as well, week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, but with a remarkable superiority this time, with a final score of 38-7.
The last 2 games have been real tough tests for Big Ben and his team, 27-24 over the Tennessee Titans in week 7 and then 28-24 over the Baltimore Ravens in week 8, both as visitors.
Can the Steelers wrap up a perfect season?
For many, the toughest part of the schedule is already in the past. However, there are still some complicated matchups coming up for the Steelers in the second half of the regular season. Especially the Cincinnati Bengals in week 10, the Baltimore Ravens at home in week 12, and a visit to the Buffalo Bills in week 14.
Then they turn around and get the Bengals again the next week. Then they battle the Indianapolis Colts at home in week 16. So, yeah, the worst might be over, but there is still a long, long way to go in the season, and the Steelers need to keep looking ahead and don’t take anything for granted.
The high level of intensity and focus that the team has shown so far, certainly let’s us believe that the team can go undefeated in 17 weeks, but even if that happens, the toughest part will be the playoffs, of course, where teams like the Bills, Colts, Ravens and Chiefs will for sure be on the way and as main obstacles for getting to a new Super Bowl.
