The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently set up pretty well for the 2025 season. The three other teams in the AFC North are faltering, while Pittsburgh is currently atop the standings in the division with a 3-1 record. The Baltimore Ravens are the biggest threat to win the AFC North and they have begun the season going 1-4 and are extremely banged up. The lead in the division should make fans very optimistic when it comes to potentially hosting a playoff game, but a large portion of the fan base is not going to get its hopes up after what happened in 2024.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on in a Wild Card matchup against the Ravens in 2025.
The Steelers looked like one of the better teams in the AFC at times during the 2024 season. The group once had a record of 10-3 and the lead in the division, while also still being in play for the one-seed in the AFC. That all came crashing down quickly as the Steelers finished the regular season with a record of 10-7 and got embarrassed by Baltimore in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Steelers were losing to good opponents, but it was still a frustrating time as the team seemed to just fall apart.
Jeremy Fowler wrote a piece for ESPN recently about the effects of having an early bye week. Pittsburgh's bye week came in Week 5 this season due to playing an international game, and in 2024, it was in Week 9. Despite the bye week being later during the 2024 season, a team source told Fowler Pittsburgh ran out of gas.
"We ran out of gas last year," the team source said. "That's why it's important for a variety of players to get game exposure so it keeps us fresh."
Pittsburgh looked like a team that ran out of gas during the final stretch of the 2024 season. The group lost its final four regular season games by a combined score of 107-57, which was a complete embarrassment as the defense seemed to fall apart and the offense could not move the ball.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt after a play against the Chiefs in Week 17 of the 2024 season.
This quote is clearly concerning. Pittsburgh had it's bye week pretty much exactly at the halfway point of the season in 2024, yet the group still ran out of gas according to a team source. The Steelers just had their bye week in Week 5 this season, which should make some fans wonder whether or not the same thing will happen again at the end of the 2025 season.
To be fair, the Steelers were battling a tough schedule. The opponents were high-class, but the Steelers were also tasked with playing three of the best teams in the league in a 10-day span. When the schedules initially came out during the 2024 offseason, fans were upset about that stretch of the year, and it proved to be difficult to deal with.
Pittsburgh's coaching and training staff hopefully learned some lessons from the collapse that occurred in 2024. Rotating players in and out more will help keep players fresh on a week-to-week basis, and it is something that has been observed during games, especially on offense.
Steelers Have To Keep Aaron Rodgers Fresh During The 2025 Season
Aaron Rodgers is the x-factor for the Steelers. This team can only go as far as he can take them, which means he needs to be protected. The offensive line has been questionable to begin the year, but hopefully the young group can continue to improve as the season moves along.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers ahead of a play in Dublin, Ireland during a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
There is a ton of potential there with the current starting five, but there are some concerns. If that area of the team can find a way to improve, then the offense should be able to put up points at a high clip at the end of the season and into the playoffs.
What do you think about Pittsburgh running out of gas in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
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