Originally Posted by
one side only
Bottom 5? Ridiculous, even if they had lost last night. The bottom 5 are clearly the Raiders, Falcons, Bucs, Jags, and Titans. The Vikings, Rams, Jets, and Redskins are not far above that group. The loss to the Bucs does not make the Steelers a bottom 5 team, nor does a win by the Rams over the Seahawks make them a top 10 team.
THe Steelers beat the Jags, who are getting better behind their franchise QB. The Browns dominated the Steelers, but lost to the Jags. Does that mean the Jags are better than the Steelers? C'mon.
The Steelers may very well end up at 8-8 or worse. However, they could finish a lot better than that and actually win the division. To say "all the easy games behind us" is just as ridiculous, as no game is easy. However, the Steelers still have to play the Jets and Titans, two games in which the Steelers will be road favorites. New Orleans at home is winnable. Cincy doesn't scare anyone now. KC may be out of the hunt by the time that game comes around, and they are beatable anyway. Atlanta is awful, although the Steelers typically don't play well in domes.
This week's game will be a true barometer. The Colts are a better team - today - but sometimes the better team doesn't win. If the Steelers can carry the confidence they gained last night into next week, they have the capability to beat the Colts. Remember, everybody had them dead and buried when they were 0 - 2. Wins against the Colts and Ravens at home puts the Steelers right back in the thick of things in the AFC. Wins at the Jets and Titans puts them at 8-3 going into the bye.
The Steelers have the building blocks to assemble a pretty good team. The killer B's (Ben, Bell & Brown) are formidable for any opponent. Shazier will be back soon. Tuitt and McCullers will continue to play, and make contributions. Bryant adds a different dimension to the offense.
I'm not suggesting anyone make plans for a home playoff game, but it is way too early to write off this season.