How have the Steelers fared in 2018?
From your assessment, how do you believe the Steelers have fared this season?
NS: The Steelers went from full-blown panic mode to one of four teams capable of winning the Super Bowl. The offense is clicking on all cylinders, even if people want to knock James Conner whenever he has an off game. The defense is playing better than they have in years. If nothing changes, they’re one of the best teams heading into the playoffs.
DD: When you take everything into account, I would say they have fared well this season. The season didn’t start out like Pittsburgh hoped it would, with everything from a tie with Cleveland to start 2018, to their star running back playing hide and seek with them.
I’m not sure if much of it leaked through the national media, but there was serious drama with this team for the first six or seven weeks of the season. With James Conner’s emergence, the offense hasn’t missed a beat and at times has looked more efficient with Conner touting the rock. Defensively, there were serious issues across the board this season.
While the defense has stepped up as of late, those issues mostly still reside in the secondary. Overall, Pittsburgh didn’t get the start they desired, but have turned it up on both sides of the ball just in time to put themselves in great position to make a postseason run. With a tough schedule ahead including trips to Denver, New Orleans and hosting the Patriots, we’ll see if this team is battle-ready or not.