The Pittsburgh Steelers: Contenders or Pretenders?

Coming off of a Week 7 win against the Tennessee Titans, the Pittsburgh Steelers rose to a 6-0 record. After the win, Steelers fans are hoping that history can repeat itself, due to the last time the team started 6-0, they went on to win the Super Bowl. Even though it was all the way back in 1978, being that they are now the only undefeated team in the league, Steelers Nation has hope. But the real question is, will they be able to stick with this great pace and finish with the same result?

Through the first 7 weeks of the season there have been a few major takeaways…

• Chase Claypool is establishing himself as a cornerstone in the Steelers offense as a rookie 
• Healthy Big Ben is a top level quarterback in the league
• The defense is proving to be a consistent force with stars like T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree that could lead the way in a deep playoff run
• The offense has proven to improve greatly since last season with a deep receiving and running core

Many questions have been raised on whether or not this team is as good as the city thinks. With a tough division filled with young, strong talent such as 3 heisman winning quarterbacks in Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield, the Steelers face a tough task in winning this stacked division. The AFC is also being seen as a tossup, with many teams such as the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs leading the way alongside the Steelers.

Their first true test was against Derrick Henry and the red hot Tennessee Titan. The Browns came into this week with a record of 5-0, and were projected to give the Steelers a run for their money… But that didn’t seem to be the case. The Steelers came out on fire and absolutely depleted the Titans in the first half. causing for a 27-7 lead at the half. With the final score of 27-24, the boys in black and gold were connecting on all cylinders and advanced their record to 6-0. After the game, news had spread across the league that this team is built to make a deep playoff and maybe even Super Bowl run. It’s a long season with many more challenges ahead, but if anyone can do it, it is Big Ben Roethlisberger. In his 16 seasons as quarterback of the Steelers, Big Ben has never had an under .500 season. After a major elbow injury last season that kept him out for the final 14 weeks, it looked as if Father Time had officially begun to catch up to Roethlisberger, which created the huge question surrounding the 38 year old quarterback, how much does he have left in the tank? That is truly uncertain, especially in today’s league where we are seeing quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Drew Brees play into their 40’s. But one thing is for certain, there is no other quarterback that Steelers Nation would want to see lead the beloved Steelers on the stairway to 7 rings.