Change your season win total prediction in here!!!

[hawaiiansteel]

Is this based on reality or is this based on protecting your feelings? I just can’t see this team going 2-7 down the stretch with Ben protecting the ball, Najee grinding out first downs and Pat catching TD’s.

I had us at 6-2 right now but with losses to the Bills and GB.

Also had us beating the Lions to get
to 7-2.

You really think we go 2-6 down the stretch if we beat the Lions?

Unless we have injuries I can’t see this team only winning 3 more games this year based on what I’m seeing around the league.

Steelers will only be barely favored in a couple of games the rest of the season.

[feltdizz]

Steelers will only be barely favored in a couple of games the rest of the season.

Good!! We play our best football when we are underdogs.

Where is the love? Where is the faith?

What games have we been watching where these other teams are so much better than us?

[Northern_Blitz]

I hope I’m right too

but one thing I know I’m not wrong about are these other teams being flawed.

I think a healthy AZ and GB are the only 2 teams that are actually “good” right now.

AFC is stronger overall but I don’t see anyone standing head and shoulders above the pack.

Also looks like the Bengals hot start has cooled off. Its wide open this year IMO and I like are chances against most teams lett on the schedule.

I 100% agree that all teams are flawed and anyone can win any game in the NFL.

"Good" teams lose to "bad" teams all the time.

But all of those teams see us on the schedule and are saying the same thing as you are. The Steelers are flawed...if we can score 20 points, we have a pretty good chance of winning that game.

I'm very happy that we've banked the wins that we have over the last month. I think we'll need a pretty good cushion going into the home stretch.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Anything less than 14-3 will be a disappointment.

I say 15-2

[Northern_Blitz]

I say 15-2

They should retroactively give us the GB game because we did block the FG and also Aaron Rodgers.

[flippy]

I 100% agree that all teams are flawed and anyone can win any game in the NFL.

"Good" teams lose to "bad" teams all the time.

But all of those teams see us on the schedule and are saying the same thing as you are. The Steelers are flawed...if we can score 20 points, we have a pretty good chance of winning that game.

I'm very happy that we've banked the wins that we have over the last month. I think we'll need a pretty good cushion going into the home stretch.

I think when teams see us on the schedule they think we’ve got to double Cam and TJ and beat the Steelers 7 on 9 when we’re on O.

And I think it pains defenders thinking that Najee’s gonna get 25 touches and they’re gonna have to keep tackling him.

Seriously. I don’t think anyone really wants to play us.

Can we be beat? Sure. But it’s gonna be a grind and most teams other than a handful are built to play a finesse game.

[LPMAN]

over his career or just these last 2 years?

and we didn’t have Pat and Najee last year..

I think its time for people to let go of last year… because it was last year.

2020: 11-0 to 12-5
2019: 8-5 to 8-8
2018: 7-2-1 to 9-6-1
2012: 6-3 to 8-8
2009: 6-2 to 9-7
2007: 9-3 to 10-6

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I think when teams see us on the schedule they think we’ve got to double Cam and TJ and beat the Steelers 7 on 9 when we’re on O.

And I think it pains defenders thinking that Najee’s gonna get 25 touches and they’re gonna have to keep tackling him.

Seriously. I don’t think anyone really wants to play us.

Can we be beat? Sure. But it’s gonna be a grind and most teams other than a handful are built to play a finesse game.

I think that many teams don't like to see the Steelers on the schedule because of mystique, and that they find a way to win games that they probably shouldn't.

[Oviedo]

Steelers will only be barely favored in a couple of games the rest of the season.

Good!!! We play better as the underdog.

I suspect "winning the hard way" may help us going forward

[feltdizz]

2020: 11-0 to 12-5
2019: 8-5 to 8-8
2018: 7-2-1 to 9-6-1
2012: 6-3 to 8-8
2009: 6-2 to 9-7
2007: 9-3 to 10-6

Thanks.. so the other 9 years we faired much better.

2009 and 2012 were after SB wins too. Sucks but we tend to fall back to earth after a SB appearance. Pretty sure we failed to reach the playoffs all 3 years immediately after a SB.

[feltdizz]

I think when teams see us on the schedule they think we’ve got to double Cam and TJ and beat the Steelers 7 on 9 when we’re on O.

And I think it pains defenders thinking that Najee’s gonna get 25 touches and they’re gonna have to keep tackling him.

Seriously. I don’t think anyone really wants to play us.

Can we be beat? Sure. But it’s gonna be a grind and most teams other than a handful are built to play a finesse game.

This is spot on.

We aren’t a finesse team throwing 60 times a game and letting defense off the hook by being one dimensional.

Najee has runs where it takes 4 guys to being him down. That usually leads to injuries and fatigue for defenders. Now you have to throw in Pat punishing DB’s as well and its a recipe for success.

[LPMAN]

Thanks.. so the other 9 years we faired much better.

2009 and 2012 were after SB wins too. Sucks but we tend to fall back to earth after a SB appearance. Pretty sure we failed to reach the playoffs all 3 years immediately after a SB.

The point is most team that start out around 6-3 don't then totally fall apart. Tomlin has had a very high rate of teams starting out with great records blow all 4 tires on the vehicle.

These 3 in particular i doubt any HOF coach has ever done ONCE this bad at the end with such a good record to start

2020: 11-0 to 12-5
2012: 6-3 to 8-8
2007: 9-3 to 10-6

after 11 straight wins you end 1-5
after 6-3 you end 2-6
after 9-3 you end 1-5

You almost can't do that bad with a good team if you TRY
???

[Northern_Blitz]

2020: 11-0 to 12-5
2019: 8-5 to 8-8
2018: 7-2-1 to 9-6-1
2012: 6-3 to 8-8
2009: 6-2 to 9-7
2007: 9-3 to 10-6

Important to note that these aren't all consecutive years. But the end of the last 3 seasons haven't been great. Although I think it's reason to give a pass to the Mason / Duck year when we clearly had (well?) below average QB play.

And I still think the end of our schedule looks harder this year than what we've done so far.

[Northern_Blitz]

Steelers will only be barely favored in a couple of games the rest of the season.

And that's if Harris stays healthy and doesn't hit a rookie wall.

Imagine what this offense would look like without him?

I think this is why we have to figure out how to get some kind of contribution from other RBs on the team. All of our eggs are firmly in one basket.

[Northern_Blitz]

The point is most team that start out around 6-3 don't then totally fall apart. Tomlin has had a very high rate of teams starting out with great records blow all 4 tires on the vehicle.

These 3 in particular i doubt any HOF coach has ever done ONCE this bad at the end with such a good record to start

2020: 11-0 to 12-5
2012: 6-3 to 8-8
2007: 9-3 to 10-6

after 11 straight wins you end 1-5
after 6-3 you end 2-6
after 9-3 you end 1-5

You almost can't do that bad with a good team if you TRY
???

Can you show your work on that one?

This seems like it's probably pretty common (especially with back up scrub QBs). But we probably only really notice when it's our team.