The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at a 4-3 record after another interesting start to yet another season under longtime head coach, Mike Tomlin. However, Pittsburgh has lost back-to-back games after starting the season with a 4-1 mark. While many people, especially the fans in the city of Pittsburgh, are out on this team, there are still some who believe there is still hope for Tomlin and co. in 2025.
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Mike Tomlin on the sideline during the Steelers' 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 of the 2025 NFL Season.
One of those people is longtime NFL show host Rich Eisen, who recently laid out the goals for the Steelers as they approach the midway point of the regular season. Below is what Eisen had to say about the current state of the Steelers on Monday via The Rich Eisen Show.
"They currently lead (the AFC North) with a 4-3 record and the only one that's close to them is the 3-5 Cincinnati Bengals, the 2-5 Ravens as well. They play them both twice. Win those games, then you have to worry about who's coming to your house for a Wild Card contest. It doesn't matter the rest of your record. You're two in front. Two in front of the second-best team right now, who may or may not have (Joe) Burrow back for one. That's my two cents on the Steelers."
After getting torched by both Joe Flacco and Jordan Love each of the last two weeks, the Pittsburgh defense is clearly the weak spot of the team. It surrendered over 450 total yards and at least 33 points in those two games. However, even if it has been historically bad, Steelers fans may want to look on the bright side. It cannot get any worse on the defensive side, while four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers (16 touchdowns) is playing like a Pro Bowl signal-caller.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers looks to throw during a home loss to the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 season.
Through seven weeks, as Eisen noted, this team is still in first place in the division. It is still two games ahead of the second-place Cincinnati Bengals in the loss column, as well as two full games ahead of the third-place Baltimore Ravens. If the Steelers can take care of all or the majority of their division games, they will have a great chance of securing another AFC North crown under Tomlin.
Why The Steelers Need To Handle Their Divisional Opponents
Again, if the Steelers can handle most or all of their rivals, they should have the inside track at the AFC North. However, on their schedule, aside from their divisional opponents, they still have to face the one-loss Indianapolis Colts (home), the 5-3 Los Angeles Chargers (road), the Super Bowl-aspiring Buffalo Bills (home), and the contending Detroit Lions (road). Combining those teams with the Bengals, who have already beaten the Steelers, along with the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens, it isn't exactly a cakewalk.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers speaks with Bengals' Joe Flacco after a loss in the 2025 season.
Still, there is a reason why Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record in nearly two decades at the helm in the Steel City. Throughout different struggles and inefficiencies over the years, the former Super Bowl champion has more often than not found a way to prevent his teams from completely falling off the edge of the map. This season, fans should not expect anything different, even if they are tired of seeing the team finish 9-8 or 10-7. Having Rodgers around also should help smooth things out when potential turmoil is surrounding the organization. 21-year veterans do not grow on trees when it comes to the National Football League. So, as frustrating as the last two weeks have been for this team, especially on defense, this roster, albeit veteran-heavy, is one of the stronger ones in the game. That, combined with the pedigree of the head coach, should give this team a solid chance at taking home the AFC North.
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