The Pittsburgh Steelers famously have yet to finish last in the AFC North since the division was formed in 2002. No other team in the NFL can say the same thing, but the Steelers might not be able to hold onto that streak for much longer. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns all finished with a winning record last season and have all arguably gotten better this offseason. Pittsburgh has made improvements on both sides of the ball this offseason as well, but it might not be enough to stay close to the top of the best division in football.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) knows how challenging it is going up against the other teams in the AFC North, but he is up for the challenge.
With Lamar Jackson coming off of his second MVP season and Joe Burrow coming into the year healthy, the Steelers will have to be extremely good in all aspects to make up for the deficit at quarterback. Deshaun Watson hasn't been great in Cleveland so far, but if he can play somewhat close to how he did in Houston when he started his career, then Pittsburgh more than likely carries the worst quarterback room in the AFC North.
Nate Davis from USA Today believes this could be the year that Pittsburgh finishes last in the division.
"Pittsburgh hasn't finished in last place since the division realignment in 2002, but there's a first time for everything - last year being the first in the Super Bowl era when an entire division membership (AFC North) finished above .500. Déjà vu?"
Finishing last in the AFC North doesn't necessarily mean having a losing record. Last season the Bengals went 9-8 and still finished 4th in the division. Davis acknowledged that finishing last in the NFL's toughest division doesn't have to mean a losing season. However with a new offensive coordinator and new quarterbacks, there won't be much time to go through early season growing pains due to the Steelers' daunting second half of their schedule.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is exciting his offensive line with his plan.
The Steelers Will Have To Get Hot Early
Arthur Smith calling plays and Russell Wilson under center feels like a big upgrade from Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett. It would be a little ridiculous to expect things to go perfectly in their first few games together, but they're going to have to either make it work or lean on the defense early on, because Pittsburgh's second half schedule is ugly. Smith comes with a run-heavy offense, so as long as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are playing well behind a much improved offensive line, Wilson shouldn't have too much pressure to perform early.
Pittsburgh opens up the season with some very winnable games. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been known to thrive late in the season when the road gets tougher, but this season specifically might have some make or break games earlier than usual. If the Steelers lose a couple of trap games like they notoriously do, we might shift our focus from winning the division and start worrying about getting a spot in the Wild Card round earlier than we'd like to.
Kirby Lee / USA Today
Steelers' Mike Tomlin (left) and Cam Heyward (right) walk together during a road game against the Buffalo Bills.
General Manager Omar Khan did his best this offseason to improve the roster and give Pittsburgh a fighting chance to compete in the AFC North. The team might have to rely on some rookies to make plays though. The lack of a legitimate WR2 (wide receiver two) has been a big topic and Roman Wilson might have to step up early in his Steelers career to give Russell Wilson a solid target behind George Pickens. Rookie Zach Frazier will more than likely be the team's starting center and first round pick Troy Fautanu has a chance to open the season as the starting right tackle. The offense will be heavily dependent on the run game and ultimately dependent on rookies up front.
Do you think the Steelers will finish last in the AFC North? Let us know in the comments below!
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