At 5-2, the Steelers have given their fans plenty to feel good about. With one game left before the bye, they also have a real shot to reach 6-2. Still, the mood around this team carries a familiar edge, the kind that makes you wonder if the season is headed toward the same ending Steelers fans have seen before.
That uneasy feeling comes from how much this start resembles those previous strong stretches under Mike Tomlin. The first half looks solid, then the injuries pile up, the opponents get tougher and the whole thing starts to unravel. In the end, it has often finished with a first-round playoff exit.
The defense is part of why that comparison keeps coming back. Under Patrick Graham, it has the feel of a unit that can survive long enough to make a play, but not necessarily dominate for four quarters.
It bends, gets pushed around and then somehow holds up when it has to. That has been the story so far.
The offense is harder to pin down. Everything seems to flow through what Aaron Rodgers is comfortable doing, and that has its good days and its bad days.
It has more life and more threat than the offenses of recent years, but it still does not feel fully connected. Against a Saints defense that ranked near the bottom, Pittsburgh managed three field goals and a touchdown.
That was enough there, but what happens when the competition stiffens against Denver, Jacksonville, Houston and even the Browns next week?
That question leads straight to the bigger issue: the offense still does not have a clear identity. The staff has to decide whether this is a run-first attack built around Jaylen Warren or a passing game that lets Rodgers take control. That uncertainty has haunted the unit before under Arthur Smith and Matt Canada, and it did not end well once the postseason arrived.
There is also a sense that Patrick Graham has not shown the full range of what he wants this defense to be. Right now, it looks fairly plain.
Pressure mostly comes from four or five players, while the secondary focuses on making the tackle after the catch. That may work for now, but as the weather turns and the pressure rises, it raises the question of whether Graham will open things up.
Jalen Ramsey is part of that conversation. He tackles well and can blitz off the edge, but he was beaten in coverage several times this morning.
He is not coming off the field, but it is fair to wonder whether Graham will use him more aggressively in the rush or find more ways to generate interior pressure. There are still pieces of this scheme we have not seen.
On offense, Warren’s role stands out just as much. He finished with 21 touches and nearly 150 total yards, yet it still felt like he could have had more.
Rico Dowdle had 15 touches for 86 yards, but the decision to take Warren off the field at key moments was puzzling. He would help get the offense into the red zone, then come out.
Maybe he was worn down. Even so, it is hard not to think he earned those chances.
The passing game has room to improve too. Injuries have clearly affected the receiver group, but that cannot be an excuse to lean endlessly on dump-offs.
Some of that is on the offensive line as well. If the protection does not hold long enough for deeper routes to develop, the rest of it does not matter much.
None of this is exactly new. Steelers fans have seen versions of it before with Mason Rudolph, Rodgers last year and the final years of Ben Roethlisberger. Even with a different play-caller and a different scheme on defense, there is still a strange feeling of déjà vu.
So yes, 5-2 is a strong place to be, and the Steelers could add another win before the bye. But the nagging concern remains that the same old trapdoor might still be waiting in January.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Just Gave Steelers Fans A New History Debate
Aaron Rodgers added another layer to the rsum Sunday, and it came in a setting that already felt a little different for Pittsburgh. Against the Saints in Paris, the Steelers quarterback kept climbing the NFLs all-time lists, this time nudging past Peyton Manning in career touchdown passes and moving into third place as one of the most prolific passers the league has ever seen.
For Steelers fans, it is the kind of milestone that turns into a debate almost as quickly as it turns into a stat update. Rodgers is still chasing bigger ground in passing yards, and the Week 7 numbers now give Pittsburgh a clearer picture of where he sits in the broader history conversation, even if the next chapter in that climb is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Paris Game Will Feature A Look Fans Rarely See
The Steelers are set to bring a different look to Paris for their game against the Saints, blending a familiar road jersey with pieces fans do not often see together. Pittsburgh will pair its white road tops with black pants from the Color Rush set and black helmets, a combination meant to keep the team recognizable while giving the international stage something a little fresh.
Around the locker room, the change has already drawn notice from players such as Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington, who said the uniform stands out from the standard road outfit. For a franchise so closely tied to tradition, even a subtle tweak like this carries some weight, especially when it is being unveiled in a showcase game meant to introduce the Steelers to a wider audience. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Had Every Reason To Be Furious Over This T.J. Watt Reversal
The early sequence of the Steelers game against the Saints had all the ingredients to send the home crowd into a fury. T.J. Watt came screaming off the edge and nearly turned a sack into a turnover, only for the play to go through review and come back in New Orleans favor. Pittsburgh also thought it had another takeaway when a forced fumble was initially ruled in its favor, only for officials to wipe it out after determining the ball carrier had gone to the ground first.
Those reversals made the turnover battle feel like a moving target for much of the night, even as Pittsburgh kept pressing for a break. The Steelers finally got one later when Payton Wilson picked off a pass from Saints quarterback Shough, giving the defense at least one clean takeaway after a stretch of frustration and second-guessing. [Read more 🡒]