Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger Thinks 2023 Team May Be Better Than Some Think, But Cautions Lucky Win In Week 7

While the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up their fourth victory of the season in Week 7, many still don't know the exact ceiling of this team. They sit at 4-2 with some impressive wins, including over the Los Angeles Rams on the road, as well as their division rivals the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens at home. It's been back-to-back gritty wins for Pittsburgh, which has shaped up to be their identity over the past few years.

Without an elite offense, the Steelers have had to rely on big plays from their defense. While the formula works at times, it leads to inconsistent results. On a positive note, the offense really turned things up in the fourth quarter of the victory over the Rams. They put up over 200 yards and 14 points in the final quarter, which led to the comeback win. In the most recent episode of his podcast Footbahlin, Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger reflected on the state of this 2023 team.

"I watch some of these games and I'm like, I think maybe we have more hope than we think... It's like maybe we're better than [people think]. We're 4-2 right now, we're sitting in the driver's seat. We've got the [Jacksonville] Jaguars coming to town, which won't be easy because the Jaguars are playing well, but I like us winning that game to be honest."

Now two years removed from the organization, Roethlisberger still pays close attention to his former team. With the 4-2 record, the Steelers are right in the AFC North title hunt. He specifically mentioned just how fluctuating the Ravens and Browns have looked, two teams that the Steelers have beaten. They are 2-0 against their division rivals, as aforementioned, which will only help them when it comes to tiebreakers later in the year. 

The schedule eases up quite a bit over the last two months as well, which gives Head Coach Mike Tomlin a real chance to lead his squad back to the postseason. The team had defied all odds thus far, especially when you look at the statistics. The offense is bottom-five in nearly every major category, including touchdowns, passing yards, and rushing yards. Quarterback Kenny Pickett hasn't been very impressive unfortunately, which has raised doubts on if he can be the long-term answer. 

What Is The Steelers' Ceiling This Season?

While the pass defense is middle of the pack, the front seven can't seem to figure out how to slow down the run. They have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards (854) thus far and allow the sixth-highest yards per carry (4.7). Wins are still wins, and that's all that matters at this juncture in the season. While Roethlisberger does think this team is better than some expect, he admitted that the team got a bit lucky in Week 7. Most notably, referees gave Pickett the first down on a critical 4th-and-1 late in the fourth quarter. 

Due to the fact that Rams Head Coach Sean McVay didn't have any challenges or timeouts remaining, he was unable to get a review on the play. When the FOX broadcast replayed the conversion, it became pretty clear that Pickett was shy of the first down. That ended the game, as the Steelers got away with one late. Additionally, while the Steelers were able to take advantage of them, they did get lucky with three missed kicks from the Rams. 

Brett Maher missed two field goals and an extra point, which proved to be the difference in the 24-17 tight affair. Heading into the season, fans were quite optimistic about this 2023 Steelers team. Why wouldn't they have been? Tomlin somehow led the group to a 9-8 record in 2022, and the front office made immense upgrades during the offseason. 

Furthermore, Pickett showed signs in the latter portions of his rookie campaign that he could be the guy at quarterback. While those haven't fully come to fruition, the team still finds ways to win games. Standing at 4-2, Roethlisberger may be right in the fact that this team could be better than some think. To his point, the NFL fluctuates on a weekly basis, and we've seen some poor performances from even the league's best so far.

Do you agree with Roethlisberger that this team may be better than many people think? Where do you think Pittsburgh ultimately finishes in the loaded AFC North? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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