Photo: steelers.com
After what many pundits regarded as a failed experiment at the Jets, Aaron Rodgers has rolled back the years and proved the doubters wrong in Pittsburgh, leading the Steelers to first place in the AFC North and making people talk about the potential for another Super Bowl championship.
The Steelers’ remaining regular schedule, starting with a road matchup against the NFC North leading Chicago Bears (7-3) in Week 12, presents a stiff challenge to Pittsburgh. They still have the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens (two games), Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns to face. So, can the Steelers get back into championship form? It depends on how they play against Chicago first and foremost.
Although the Steelers have not been the favorite to win another title this year, all the best Super Bowl betting sites at least included Pittsburgh in the conversation. So, when Rodgers exited the field with an injury in the first half of the win against the Bengals, alarm bells started ringing.
Initial fears of a long spell out for Rodgers seemed to have been dismissed with the news that he has suffered a small fracture in his non-throwing wrist. He will continue to be evaluated, but it seems like he might only miss limited time, if any. The veteran QB is focused on safety, as he mentioned in his early week meeting with the media, but a competitor.
Mason Rudolph stepped up when required and guided the Steelers to a win against the Bengals after Rodgers exited the field. He has been called on before and delivered the goods, and Mike Tomlin has repeatedly stated that he has every faith in the backup QB. But can Rudolph keep the Steelers offense moving in the right direction to push for a great finish to the regular season?
Although it is far from guaranteed that even a fully fit Rodgers can take the Steelers to a Super Bowl, there is a very slim chance that this team makes a championship run with Rudolph – or rookie Will Howard – in at quarterback.
Getting Rodgers back, or Rudolph playing his very best ball and stacking wins until Rodgers returns, is the first piece of the puzzle that needs to fit for the Steelers to go far into the playoffs.
If there is one defining aspect to the 2025 NFL regular season so far, it is that no one team has really stepped up as the one to beat. In fact, it feels like most of the contenders have actively tried not to become a new favorite. It could be the most open playoff race in recent history, with some of the traditional powerhouses missing out.
The Ravens are a perfect example. Starting the season 1-5 did not do their chances any favors, even if most people thought that they would improve – especially once Lamar Jackson was fully fit again. But, the Bills and Chiefs have both been flaky, while surprise contenders – like the Colts and Patriots – are still expected to fall away. No team is running away with its division, so now would be a perfect time for the Steelers to take a big step up and become a team that others need to beat.
The Steelers haven’t won a postseason game since 2016. It has been one-and-done in four of the last five years, with Wild Card losses to the Browns, Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens during that time. The AFC North is the possibly the most competitive of all the divisions in the conference, but winning the title has to be the first priority.
It seems unlikely that the Steelers can still finish with the best record in the AFC, but winning the division will do a lot to help with seeding. With such open races for the other divisional titles, there is still no guarantee that the Wild Card opponent will be a pushover – so homefield advantage could be all-important.
Still, the trajectory towards that goal begins with a win over the Bears in order to push for top spot in the AFC North.
With the win over the Bengals, the battle for the AFC North is now down to two teams, with the Steelers set to face the Ravens on home turf in the final game of the regular season. There is a very good chance that it might be a winner-takes-all game – although that is assuming the Steelers are able to win against some very good teams in the meantime. The good news? If Pittsburgh does end up beating the Ravens to the divisional title, the momentum and confidence will be sky high going into the playoffs.
The main issue fans had with the prospects of the Steelers this season was that they never knew what kind of team was going to be turning up each weekend.
The boom-or-bust defense has been particularly frustrating. Inconsistency does not breed confidence, and there has either been a flurry of sacks and turnovers or none at all.
Offensively, Rodgers has been able to get into his groove at times, but the connection hasn’t been perfect there either. Randolph came in against the Bengals and performed well, but it was the defense that earned the win in the end.
More consistency is needed on both sides of the ball if this season is going to end well.
A common criticism about the Pittsburgh Steelers – and its inability to get past the Wild Card round of the playoffs – is that nothing will change until Mike Tomlin, as head coach, is gone. Whatever your view on a head coach that has proved his worth on more than one big occasion over the years, now is the time to move on from the past.
The players on the field determine their own fate. Pittsburgh isn’t in a state of completely falling apart – they still believe in the vision Tomlin has helped instill. Players have joined the team because they wanted to play under Tomlin.
It is a tough task for the Steelers, but this team is still in contention and needs to play as if it can win the Super Bowl – and get back into championship form – and it begins with a win in Chicago.
