“The Pittsburgh Steelers got last place written all over them,” said ESPN Analyst Stephen A. Smith. This comment came just before Week One when Smith and plenty of others were quick to rule the Steelers out of any sort of playoff conversation. Now, at their Bye Week, the Steelers sit at 6-2 and No. 1 in the AFC North.

While the record to this point does not guarantee the Steelers as a playoff team, it shows plenty of optimism that they are a competitor in the AFC. As we all know though, the second half of the schedule for Pittsburgh is incredibly daunting, much more so than the first half.

With all six divisional games on the horizon, along with three teams that all look to be playoff-bound, the work is far from done for Pittsburgh. Projecting the Steelers will need at least ten wins to find their way into the postseason again; they will need to go 4-5 through these five games. Let us take a look at just how they could get there or even better.

Finish 4-2 in AFC North

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The AFC North is not what it looked to be when 2024 kicked off. Almost everyone thought the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals would beat out the Steelers and perhaps even contend with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the division. The situation could not be more different in Week 9.

The Browns sit at 2-6 and have looked like a shadow of the team they were last year. A somewhat similar story for the Bengals, as they were projected to compete with a healthy roster. A disappointing loss to the New England Patriots has set them back severely, as the rest of their schedule has been reasonably difficult.

Baltimore has had their ups and downs as well, proving they can be beaten by anyone. This shows most in their losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Browns. However, Baltimore has also shown they can compete with the best in the league. They torched teams like Buffalo and Tampa Bay, who both are division champion hopefuls themselves.

So, for Pittsburgh this is mostly good news, considering there seems to be one, maybe two strong teams in the North rather than three. A 4-2 record within the division would put the Steelers at the 10-win mark and leave some breathing room for their matchups that have more question marks.

Where would their four wins come from? Nothing is ever guaranteed in these divisional matchups, but taking this season’s performance along with history into account, here is a realistic scenario that could give the Steelers their four division wins.

Sweep Cleveland
Split with Cincinnati
Split with Baltimore

Go 1-2 vs. non-division foes

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With the Washington Commanders after the Bye Week, the Steelers will have just two non-divisional opponents after Week 10. It will be the back-to-back Super Bowl Champions Kansas City on Christmas and the battle of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia just two weeks before that.

Jayden Daniels has got the Commanders as a serious team to watch and potential contenders out of the NFC East. Currently, at 6-2, the Commanders will look to take down yet another AFC North team, the Steelers, when they meet in Week 10.

The Eagles have had an up-and-down campaign but ultimately sit at 5-2 and continue to battle with Washington for the top spot in the NFC East. The offseason addition of Saquon Barkley has bolstered this team to new heights, pun intended. With a thrilling offense and stellar defense, Philadelphia poses a severely tough matchup for whoever comes their way.

Finally, the Chiefs are… the Chiefs. They sit at 7-0 and have beaten a couple of juggernauts along the way. The undefeated record has not come without a few close games though, with five of the seven ending within a score of seven points or less. This will be the second to last game of the season for the Steelers and should be exhilarating as it will go down in Acrsiure Stadium.

If the Steelers can snag just one win off of these three teams, they can afford an extra loss within their division. A reasonable prediction for who to beat could be Philadelphia, as they look the most unsteady out of these three.

The Steelers have set themselves up in a great position to tackle the second half of the season. The job is far from done though and while the finish line may be within sight, the Steelers must get there.

Steelers final record prediction: 11-6