Steelers Pulling Away From Ravens, Bengals In AFC North Before Difficult Part Of 2018 Schedule

After winning one game in the first month of the season and creating far too many headlines with drama off the field, the Pittsburgh Steelers are back to looking like a Super Bowl contender. The team picked up a key victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, and they could be pulling away from the rest of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh’s win in Baltimore put two games of separation between themselves and the Ravens. The Steelers are a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals atop the division, and they own a win against the Bengals on the road. The Cleveland Browns are 3.5 games out of first place with their playoff hopes long gone.

It isn’t just that the Steelers now lead the division. They are one of the hottest teams in football with four straight victories by seven points or more. The rest of the division is trending in the wrong direction.

Baltimore is on a three-game losing streak, unable to find success against the most difficult part of their schedule, and Sunday’s loss has sparked speculation that John Harbaugh’s days with the team could be numbered. Cincinnati is 0-3 against teams with a winning record with a matchup against the New Orleans Saints coming in Week 10.

Following Baltimore’s bye, the Ravens and Bengals will meet in a pivotal Week 11 contest. Cincinnati won the first matchup between the two rivals in Week 2.

The Carolina Panthers are scheduled to visit Pittsburgh on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 10. The Steelers are four-point home favorites, according to OddsShark, and they will likely be favored in their visits to Jacksonville and Denver over the next two weeks. Pittsburgh faces a tough stretch from Week 13 to Week 16 when they’ll play the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints.

The Steelers began the year as the favorites to challenge the Patriots in the AFC. Their high-powered offense ranks fourth in the NFL, and it’ll only get better with Le’Veon Bell likely to return next week. The defense continues to perform better each week, having surrendered 18 points per game over the last four contests.

After going 13-3 last season, the Steelers have won two straight AFC North titles while stringing together four consecutive 10-plus win seasons. Pittsburgh got off to a rocky start, but it looks like they have righted the ship.