Steelers aren’t the only Super Bowl contender with shaky start in 2018
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the only Super Bowl contending team to have a shaky start to their season. After three weeks, there are plenty of teams that have big question marks, and yinzers aren’t the only ones sweating on game day.
Which team would you rather be?
Out of these teams, to me, I think the answer is obvious.
Green Bay Packers (1-1-1)
Another team with a tie, the Green Bay Packers find themselves with a rough start to the 2018 NFL season. The Packers started out 1-0 by beating the Chicago Bears, 24-23. If it weren’t for Aaron Rodgers doing what Aaron Rodgers does, the Packers lose their opening game to an improved, but lower-tier Bears team, at home.
Next week, they find themselves in the same boat as the Steelers with a tie against the Minnesota Vikings, making their potential future playoff standings messy.
This week, Green Bay has a hard time finding a rhythm against the Washington Redskins, and fall on the road, 31-17. They lose to a Redskins team that is supposed to be towards the bottom of the league. Of course, the Skins could surprise everyone and become a mid-level opponent, but from where we stand now, the Packers had a bad loss to a bad team.
A squeaked out win against the Bears, a tie, and a loss to the Redskins. You be the judge.
Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1)
Just like the Packers, the Minnesota Vikings have had a similar start to their season. They beat a 1-2 San Francisco 49ers team in Week 1 by one possession, 24-16.
Of course, next, they tied the Green Bay Packers.
This past week, the Vikings were on the wrong end of the biggest upset in 23 years. The Vikings were prepared to face the Buffalo Bills, where they were favored by a 17-point spread. Minnesota lost, at home, by 21 points and a score of 27-6.
One of the best defenses in the league, gave up 27 points to arguably the worst team in the league.
The offense, who cashed in on Kirk Cousins, could only muster up 6 points for the entire 60 minutes. I don’t even think it’s a debate which loss you’d rather have, getting blown out by the Lions or losing by one score to the Chiefs.
Another squeaked out win against the 49ers, a tie against the Packers, then the biggest upset in 23 years against the Bills. You be the judge.
New England Patriots (1-2)
I didn’t think the New England Patriots would be in a similar situation until this past weekend. They beat the Houston Texans, 27-20 in Week 1. For the opening week, it looked like that was a quality win, for the Texans were supposed to be competing for a playoff spot this year. After three weeks, the Texans are arguably in more trouble than anyone in the league. So the win doesn’t look as good as it once did.
Next, the Jacksonville Jaguars got their revenge by beating the Patriots, 31-20. They lost to a good team, but the key word in this sentence is, “lost.” The Steelers lost to the Chiefs, who could be one of the best teams in the league, but they still lost.
Not the best start to the season, until this past week. The Detroit Lions host New England, and the Pats lost 26-10. The Lions are also at the bottom of the league, and Tom Brady, the best quarterback in the NFL at the moment, could only put up 10 points.
An “ok” win against the Texans, a loss to the Jaguars, and a loss to the Lions. You be the judge.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1)
The Steelers, of course, tied the Cleveland Browns to open the season up, 21-21. I am not arguing that the Steelers had their faults, especially the offense, but the game was on the road, against a division opponent, and had terrible playing conditions. The Steelers should have beaten the Browns, but at least they didn’t lose to Cleveland. They had offensive problems, and I think it’s safe to say they have figured that part out.
Home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers put up a frustrating loss by losing 42-37. Again, a loss is a loss, but this Kansas City Chiefs team looks like they are no joke.
If they continue how they are playing now, they will be in the discussion to not only get to the Super Bowl, but to win it. The offense started out slow, but still put up 37 points in three quarters. The defense had too many issues to count, but we are talking about rough starts to the season.
This week, Steelers fans can breathe a sigh of relief as they get their first win of the season on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-27. Coming into the game, this Bucs team did not look like a sure-fire win, by any means.
Coming into the game, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 819 yards and 8 touchdowns in two games. The Steelers had a monster second quarter by scoring 24 points, and finished the game by totaling 30 points. The defense had their fair share of long drives by the Bucs offense, but we cannot overlook the 4 turnovers the defense managed to get, including one in the red zone.
Could the Steelers have started their season better?
I don’t think there’s any question they should have. Tying the then-winless Browns, losing a bad game to the Chiefs, but then having a strong win against the Buccaneers. Compare those statistics to other Super Bowl contending teams around the league that have had similar starts. I would rather have our start compared to those other teams, and we are not the only fans with stress after the first three weeks.
