In preseason predictions and power-rankings, the New England Patriots were constantly placed at the top, and rightfully so. They are, after all, the defending Super Bowl champions, and they added impact players such as WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore, TE Dwayne Allen, and RB Mike Gillislee.
One team that many thought would be able to challenge New England this season are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off an 11-5 season which culminated in a 36-17 loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship, Pittsburgh chose not to make a big splash in free agency, opting instead to improve their team through the draft. OLB T.J. Watt and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster are expected to make significant impacts throughout this season.
Are the Steelers capable of overtaking New England this season, or will the Patriots continue their AFC dominance?
For New England, their season did not begin on a high note. In a much-anticipated opener, the Pats fell 42-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs, who are currently 4-0. Since then, they've beat the New Orleans Saints 36-20, and two weeks ago, they won in dramatic fashion with a TD in the final minute, narrowly edging out rookie Deshaun Watson’s Houston Texans.
Then, this past Sunday, the Patriots lost a close game to the Carolina Panthers, 33-30. New England’s defense, supposedly a strong suit, has been suspect thus far. But, Tom Brady continues to defy the laws of aging, completing 64.5% of his passes for 1,092 yards, eight touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
As long as Brady plays at a high level, the Patriots will be a formidable opponent for any team and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Their upcoming schedule includes tough games against good teams such as Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, and eventually a late-season matchup with Pittsburgh. The Patriots will have a chance to prove themselves as a Super Bowl favorite during this tough stretch.
The Steelers, on the other hand, have had an underwhelming start to their season. In Week 1, they narrowly escaped Cleveland with a win, 21-18, thanks to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first few minutes and a timely, and unnecessary, late-game interception by rookie QB DeShone Kizer.
After that, they dismantled the Sam Bradford-less Minnesota Vikings, 26-9. Then, Pittsburgh shockingly fell 23-17 in overtime to the Chicago Bears, an embarrassing defeat for the Steelers.
After an offseason holdout, star running back Le’Veon Bell has struggled thus far, rushing for just 180 yards on 52 carries. Rookie linebacker T.J. Watt has impressed, adding a spark to an aging defense.
On Sunday, Pittsburgh faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in a battle for AFC North supremacy. The Steelers won soundly, 26-9. Future contests include games against Jacksonville, Kansas City, Detroit, Tennessee, Green Bay, and the Patriots.
As of now, the Steelers haven’t shown much to indicate that they are ready to take the AFC crown from the Patriots. The fact that they lost to Chicago and should have lost to Cleveland is very telling; Pittsburgh is an old team with young players who still have plenty of developing to do, and their contention window is quickly closing. Their divisional matchup with the Ravens could be a turning point, they hope.
The Patriots are vulnerable. But, the Steelers may not be the team to overtake them; that title may belong to the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs. After a late victory over Washington on Monday night, the Chiefs remain undefeated, and behind a great offensive line, rushing leader and rookie of the year favorite Kareem Hunt, and an aggressive defense, Kansas City looks primed to take the #1 seed from the defending champion Pats.
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