The Black and Gold are Back

Author: Matthew Iberger

Editor: Fran Attié

For the second time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-0. Not to get ahead of myself, but the last time they started off 6-0, they won the Super Bowl. As a Steelers fan, I am completely ecstatic after last season’s disappointment. And while we’re not even halfway through the season, there is clearly a lot to be happy about. So let's take a look at how the team is doing, and how I think they are looking going forward.

Through the first seven weeks, the Steelers defense has been suffocating. Some even say it’s the best defense in the NFL at this point. After watching them get carved up by a Blake Bortles-led Jaguars team a couple of years ago, it is nice to finally see a defense that can hold its own. The smothering pass rush, which is blitzing at the highest rate in the league this season, has been a nightmare for opposing offenses, and it shows in all the passing statistical categories that the Steelers lead in. Playoff games often come down to the team that is able to get to the opposing quarterback, and the rate the Steelers are doing that right now, bodes well for their success in the back half of the season.

As for the offense, it has certainly been a breath of fresh air after the living through the Mason Rudolph/Devlin Hodges monstrosity that was last year’s. The air raid offense of the past is gone, replaced by a quick throwing, short passing attack. Big Ben is throwing shorter significantly more than previous years, and it’s actually working—coming off elbow surgery, these shorter passes seem perfectly tailored both for the 38 year-old quarterback and the offense. Ben is also getting hit a lot less than previous seasons, which is always a positive for your quarterback. The only thing concerning me though, is how the offense sputtered in the second half of the Titans game. After going up 24-7 in the 2nd quarter, Pittsburgh only scored 3 points the rest of the game and had to rely on a Titans field goal miss to win in regular time. Hopefully it was just a one off incident, because you need to keep your foot on the gas when playing against high powered offenses like the Chiefs’, Ravens’, or the Titans’ when they meet again. Still, being 7-0 is impressive in itself, so I really shouldn’t complain about how the team got here.

All in all, this season could not have been off to a better start, and I predict that a 14-2 record, or even 13-3 (in case any trap games happen), is a completely attainable goal for this Steelers team. Right now though, all I know for certain is that, after a down year, the Black and Gold are back, and the league better be ready for them.

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