The Pittsburgh Steelers have fallen back down to earth after starting off the season with a record of 4-1. After mightily struggling on defense in back-to-back weeks, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and co. are now 4-3 and in a tight AFC North race with the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. Still in first place in the division, there is hope for this team. In fact, there are some who are predicting Pittsburgh to have a solid record and still be in contention by the time it faces the emerging Ravens in early December. One of those people is longtime Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin smiles while walking off the field with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
While appearing on a recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, Kaboly predicted that both the Steelers and Ravens would have the same record by the time they first face each other on December 7th. Below is what he had to say about Pittsburgh's schedule.
"I think they'll split between the Colts and Chargers. Take one or the other. That puts them at 5-4. They'll beat Cincinnati. I believe that. They'll be 6-4. They'll beat Chicago," Kaboly said. "Then they'll probably lose to Buffalo. 7-5. (Steelers and Ravens) could both be 7-5."
This could very well happen. Despite the defensive struggles, four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing strong football (104.4 passer rating). His 16 passing touchdowns on the season are letting the world know that he can still sling the pigskin. In fact, he is on pace to break former legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's single-season record of 34 passing touchdowns. If Rodgers can continue to perform the way he is performing and the defense can take a step up to the average level, a record of 7-5 on December 7th makes complete sense.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers looks to throw during a home loss to the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 season.
While the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers are both dangerous opponents, and even if the Bengals and Chicago Bears could be sneaky, Tomlin and his team know how to grind out victories. They have done it year after year, even if they haven't done it in the postseason or in the most exciting way.
Steelers Need To Be Wary Ravens
As Tomlin and the entire city of Pittsburgh know all too well, the Ravens are always lurking. Despite starting the season at 1-5, Baltimore has won back-to-back games and is now tied with the Bengals for second place in the AFC North. Furthermore, Head Coach John Harbaugh and his team have a somewhat easy schedule coming up. They have a little over a week before they face the last-place Minnesota Vikings. Then, they will meet the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, who have three combined wins on the season. Finally, before their first date with the Steelers, they will play the Bengals, who are 3-5. Putting it lightly, this schedule is more than favorable, especially when you consider that two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is now just starting to find his groove.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh meet near midfield to shake hands after a professional football game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD.
Kaboly's prediction feels like it could definitely happen, which means these two bitter rivals could be in a tight race during the back half of the season. In a very tight conference, and seeing as it is a struggling division, perhaps the AFC North will only get one team into the postseason. Whoever can gain the upper hand in this storied rivalry could be playing meaningful games in January. The loser could be sitting at home on the couch. That aforementioned first meeting between the Steelers and Ravens will take place on December 7th. The second meeting between the two will take place on January 4th. Aaron Rodgers against Lamar Jackson for the right to go to the playoffs sounds like a pretty appetizing idea if you are the average NFL fan.
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