The Steelers keep winning, but they keep doing it the hard way.
That’s the tension hanging over Pittsburgh heading into Week 8, because four of the team’s five victories this season have come by a touchdown or less. In the NFL, that still counts the same in the standings. But close games leave almost no margin for error, and Mike McCarthy made it clear after a 16-10 win against the Saints that he sees those tight finishes as part of the formula.
“It’s nice to win by two or three scores” McCarthy admitted to reporters after a 16-10 win against the Saints. “When you’re in close games you have to make critical plays throughout all the situations in football.”
That was the story against New Orleans. Aaron Rodgers and the offense piled up 343 offensive yards, but Pittsburgh had very little to show for it.
Three red zone drives stalled out, and the Steelers managed only one touchdown. Chris Boswell kept the night from slipping away, drilling field goals from 28, 47, and 39 yards to keep Pittsburgh ahead.
Even then, the game never really felt settled. The Steelers’ failure to turn yardage into points kept New Orleans hanging around, and every empty trip gave the Saints another chance to flip the result.
Then Payton Wilson changed the tone completely, picking off Tyler Shough inside Pittsburgh’s ten-yard line. That turnover shut the door on New Orleans and ended the threat for good.
Now the bigger question arrives quickly: can Pittsburgh handle the Browns without making it another late scramble?
The Steelers and Browns meet in a game that carries division implications, with the winner moving into first place. The last time these teams played, Todd Monken’s group came out on top. Pittsburgh’s 27-24 loss to Cleveland sent panic through the building, and Deshaun Watson carved up Patrick Graham’s defense before Andre Szmyt finished it with a 56-yard walk-off field goal.
Back then, the Steelers weren’t built to survive that kind of game. Too many key decisions went sideways, and Pittsburgh didn’t execute the critical plays that might have changed the finish. It was a rough lesson early in the season, but one the team may have needed.
Since then, McCarthy and his staff have made changes. An offensive line adjustment and a bigger role for Jaylen Warren have helped Pittsburgh put together three straight wins.
The Steelers have shown they can survive tight games. The next step is proving they can avoid them.
Cleveland already exposed the cracks once this season, and another narrow escape won’t quiet the questions around McCarthy’s offense. A convincing win would.
In Other News...
Steelers Just Showed How Much Trust Rodgers Really Has
The Steelers offense has been built around giving Aaron Rodgers room to operate, but the latest example came in a spot where most teams would be content to take the safe points and head to the locker room. Against Cleveland, Pittsburgh lined up with no timeouts and only a few seconds left before halftime, then leaned on the quarterbacks experience to sort through a prepared option rather than forcing a rigid call from the sideline.
Mike McCarthy confirmed Rodgers was the one who made the decision, which says plenty about how much freedom the Steelers are willing to hand him in high-pressure moments. It also underscored the kind of trust that can shape an offense late in halves and in tight games, when the margin between caution and aggression often comes down to whether the quarterback can be trusted to choose the right answer on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Win Couldnt Hide One Receiver Problem Anymore
The Steelers kept rolling in Week 8 with a win over the Browns, stretching their streak to four straight and giving the offense another chance to build on some real momentum. Even so, the passing game still had a familiar rough edge, with the receiver group once again leaving plays on the field at a time when Pittsburgh could use cleaner execution to support its winning run.
Drops have become hard to ignore, and the frustration is only growing as the Steelers try to sort out how much help this offense still needs at wideout. With the trade market already buzzing around possible targets, the conversation is shifting from whether Pittsburgh can win games to whether it can keep doing so without adding more reliable playmakers for its quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Blowout Still Exposed A Goal-Line Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Steelers had plenty to like in their 27-6 win over Cleveland, especially the way they controlled the game on the ground and piled up 200 rushing yards. Jaylen Warren led the charge with 143 yards on 17 carries, giving Pittsburgh a physical edge that helped offset an uneven day for Aaron Rodgers, who finished 13 of 25 for 172 yards with one interception.
Still, the victory did not fully erase a familiar frustration near the goal line. Mike McCarthy was openly bothered by a red-zone sequence deep in Browns territory that ended without a touchdown, a reminder that even in a blowout, Pittsburghs offense can still leave points on the field in the spots that matter most. [Read more 🡒]