The Pittsburgh Steelers, as expected, beat the COVID-depleted Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. The only problem is they didn’t look all that impressive in the process.
The Steelers mustered just one offensive touchdown in the 19-14 win to improve to 11-0. They remain the only unbeaten team in the league and are vying to become the fifth team in league history to finish the regular season undefeated.
JR SportBrief, however, doesn’t know if they’ll get there.
“I like the Steelers. I would love to see an AFC title matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Steelers. I think it would be pretty damn cool. I’d love it,” JR said on CBS Sports Radio. “But it also would not surprise me if by the time we got into the playoffs, maybe the Tennessee Titans can keep on running. Maybe the Bills can improve. I don’t know. Josh Allen, I feel like he has so much on his back.
“I think today, ultimately, was a blip [for the Steelers],” JR continued. “But the defense is going to be in trouble if Bud Dupree is not out there. Let’s be real. The wide receivers – young wide receivers – how reliable are they going to be in the playoffs week-to-week? Are they going to be able to maintain being undefeated so they can get that bye? There are a lot of questions here.”
The Steelers’ end-of-season slate is not easy. They play against Washington (4-7), at Buffalo (8-3), at Cincinnati (2-8-1), against Indianapolis (7-4) and at Cleveland (8-3). Three of those squads – the Bills, Colts and Browns – are currently playoff teams.
“I believe the Steelers will lose at least one of these upcoming games,” JR said. “I just do. It’s difficult being undefeated. The odds say they’re not going to be undefeated. That’s just the facts. And going week-to-week in the playoffs, I’m still going to go with the Chiefs. So, do I still like the Pittsburgh Steelers? Yes. Do I think they’ll be able to go to the AFC title game? Yes. But today, I have less confidence in them that they can just get there. I have less confidence in them that when you boil it down that they’re going to be able to slow down a Pat Mahomes.”
The Steelers have played in plenty of close games this season, having won six games by seven points or fewer. They rank 22nd in total offense, and Ben Roethlisberger did not find the end zone against the Ravens until the fourth quarter.
“Some of these other teams probably looked at the Steelers today and said, ‘Okay, we can take them,’” JR said. “So my confidence level, despite believing in them as still the second-best team in the AFC, in a couple of weeks, it may not look that way for the Steelers. There is some cause for concern. They got to get that run game together, and they better pray that these injuries they’ve had to their defense don’t slow them down.”