Steelers' Longtime Rival Labels Pittsburgh As The Only Legitimate Threat To The Chiefs In The AFC

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a disappointment over the last few seasons. In the last three years, the team has had to scratch and claw to have a chance of making the postseason, yet the organization hasn't been able to advance in the playoffs since 2016. However, with Russell Wilson leading the offense, the trajectory of the Steelers feels different in 2024. It is almost like the veteran quarterback and elite defense in Pittsburgh give the team a chance to compete with some of the top teams in the AFC.

The Steelers are currently 6-2 and have one of the best records of any team in the AFC. They will face a big test on Sunday in the Washington Commanders, but Pittsburgh has certainly solidified itself as a contender to win the AFC North. The AFC as a whole has been run by the Kansas City Chiefs ever since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback back in 2018. 

They haven't missed an AFC Championship Game since. If a team in the AFC wants to win the Super Bowl, it will have to go through Mahomes and the Chiefs, and former Pittsburgh rival Joe Thomas shared on The Rich Eisen Show that Pittsburgh has the best chance to do that on.

"It's interesting because the Ravens [are] that team that you want to pick, but their pass defense is so terrible that as soon as, in your mind, you match them up against a team like the Chiefs, you're thinking, 'how do they ever stop Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball?'" Thomas said. "I don't really believe in the Bills. I just feel like when you watch them, they're a team that seems to be flawed because I don't think they fully believe in themselves as contenders to beat the Chiefs."

It is widely agreed upon that the Baltimore Ravens are the second-best team in the AFC behind the Chiefs, although the Steelers have owned them in recent seasons. Baltimore has one of the most explosive offenses in football, but its defense will be what slows the franchise down. The Ravens have already lost games to the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns because their defense couldn't get a stop.

Aside from the Ravens, other competitors in the AFC include the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans. Houston has been pretty banged up in 2024, and Buffalo has certainly had its own issues despite boasting a 7-2 record. Thomas continued on why the Steelers have the best chance to take down the Chiefs.

"So I would actually say the Steelers are probably a team that could knock off the Chiefs." Thomas said. "Because you can't exactly say why they win these games, but they don't make mistakes. They don't beat themselves and they play such good defense. TJ Watt, the ultimate closer out there on the edge rushing the quarterback would give Patrick Mahomes a ton of problems. And if they can run the ball and play tough, sometimes that's the formula that wins games in the playoffs."

It's not like Thomas knows much about winning in the playoffs as he played for Cleveland for 11 seasons and didn't make the postseason once. However, he has been around the game his entire life and knows that the Steelers have what it takes to bring down Kansas City if they happen to clash in the postseason.

Steelers Need To Finish The Regular Season Strong

Although Pittsburgh currently holds a record of 6-2, it is definitely not a sure thing that team makes the postseason. The Steelers have one of the toughest schedules to finish out the regular season which includes all six of their divisional games along with contests against the Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chiefs. AFC North games are as tough as they come, and the combined record of Pittsburgh's other three opponents is 21-4.

What do you think of Thomas' praise for the Steelers? Can they beat the Chiefs? Let us know in the comments below!

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