It might not have been evident in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional game on Sunday, but Mike Tomlin has an offense capable of scoring touchdowns. More
At times, the Steelers’ 28–7 win over the Colts on Thanksgiving night felt like a microcosm of what has thus far been a frustratingly uneven season for a team that still has visions of a Super Bowl run. They start off looking as though nobody has a chance at ever stopping them, with three straight touchdown drives. Then, they’re forced to punt twice in a row to start the second half and their defense allows their opponent to stick around, the game feeling closer than it should be. And then, things swing back, and they firmly reclaim control, their defense making some big plays and their offense putting the game far out of reach.
Thursday night was the latest up in a season of ups and downs for the Steelers. But will they be able to avoid taking another tumble as their season heads into the homestretch?
That’s the great unknown. The flaws are there, even if they’re disguised by what was a pretty happy holiday for the Steelers and their fans. They beat the Colts by 21 points in Indianapolis. They put up 369 yards of total offense and the quarterback and receiver tandem that they are undoubtedly quite grateful for, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, connected for three touchdowns. They improved their record to 6–5 and as a result leapfrogged over the Ravens and into first place in the AFC North. And yet, it’s at times difficult to look at the Steelers and see a true Super Bowl contender.
Their defense leaves a lot to be desired, even on a night when it forced two impressive and crucial goal line stands that ended up being…