The Pittsburgh Steelers have already done the hard part of the season: they reached the bye at 6-2. Now comes the stretch that will tell the real story.
This team has spent the first half of the year living with its flaws and still finding ways to win anyway. Some weeks the Steelers have matched the experts’ expectations.
Other weeks they’ve made things harder than they needed to be. Either way, they’ve managed to stack enough good football to sit in a strong spot heading into the break.
The challenge now is what comes next. Pittsburgh’s second half looks rough on paper, even if injuries around the league have softened that outlook a bit. If the Steelers want to keep calling themselves a contender, they’ll have to prove it against a tougher slate and win games that matter.
Still Curtain’s contributors see a range of outcomes from here.
Allison Koehler projected an 11-6 finish, writing: "The Steelers hit their bye at 6-2, with a defense allowing just 18 points per game, giving them a pretty sturdy floor even when the offense gets clunky. The remaining schedule has some real landmines, including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and two games with Baltimore, so a 5-4 finish down the stretch feels about right."
Tommy Jaggi was even more bullish, picking Pittsburgh to go 12-5. He said, "Before the season, most fans believed another 10-win season was attainable.
But the Steelers are running the football and stopping the run like nobody's business. Meanwhile, they were handed an unwarranted gift with the Ravens' quarterback injuries, and the back half of their schedule suddenly doesn't look so daunting.
This team not only has playoff aspirations, but at this rate, they could even find themselves in the hunt for the top seed in the AFC."
Loyal Ricks Jr. went the furthest, forecasting a 13-4 finish. He wrote, "The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the bye week in full control of the AFC NORTH.
And that’s exactly where I expect them to finish the campaign. A difficult stretch against Denver, Houston & Jacksonville will test McCarthy’s squad.
But I believe with a few players returning from
Injury and motivation to clinch a playoff berth will be enough for Pittsburgh to finish the 2026 campaign strong."
Andrew Falce took a more skeptical route and landed on 10-7. He said, "While the Steelers looked good heading into the bye week, I think they come out resting on their laurels and lose the next two straight (they always lose in Philly).
They get back on track against the Broncos and Texans before losing to the Jaguars (a truly good team can beat this Steelers team right now). They split with the Ravens and beat the Panthers and Titans."
The final forecast lands at 11-6, with the Steelers surviving a schedule that still has plenty of traps in it. The Bengals, Broncos, and Jaguars stand out as the three games that could define the rest of the season, and a win over Cincinnati right out of the bye would put Pittsburgh in control of the AFC North.
Even with some opponents fading - including the Eagles, Ravens, and Panthers - there’s still room for a stumble or two. A surprise loss could pop up in one of the games most people expect the Steelers to handle, and any major injury setback would change the picture quickly.
For now, the expectation is that Pittsburgh keeps doing what it has done best so far: winning the games it’s supposed to win. In this projection, that means beating the Eagles, Broncos, Panthers, Titans, and the Ravens in Pittsburgh, which would get the Steelers to 11 victories and put them in position for a playoff berth and a shot at the division.
The losses in that path come against the Bengals after the bye, the Jaguars, Houston, and the season finale against Baltimore. The Texans are viewed as a possible playoff team by then, and the final Ravens game comes with the idea that Pittsburgh could rest its starters.
In Other News...
Steelers Player Christian Kuntz Just Earned Recognition Pittsburgh Fans Will Love
Christian Kuntz has built a reputation in Pittsburgh that reaches well beyond his work as the Steelers long snapper. Since taking over the role in 2021, he has used his platform to stay active in the community, and his foundation, Kuntz 4 Ki6s, has helped raise meaningful funds for local families while supporting underserved youth through events and partnerships.
This week, that off-field commitment earned him another round of recognition from around the league. Kuntz was named the NFLPAs Week 9 Community MVP after a donation that helped open a new resource room at Pittsburgh Morrow, a project aimed at giving students and families a more reliable place to turn for support. For Steelers fans, it is the kind of honor that fits the way Kuntz has carried himself in the city since arriving on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Could Move A Veteran Piece Fans Did Not Expect
Cole Holcomb has been more of a familiar face on special teams than a fixture on defense this season, and that alone has made him an interesting name to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Albert Breer of SI.com raised the possibility that the Steelers could consider moving the veteran linebacker, a reminder that roster decisions in-season are often shaped as much by depth and role as by headline production.
Detroit has surfaced as a logical place to keep an eye on, given the Lions need at inside linebacker after a major injury to Jack Campbell. For Pittsburgh, Holcombs value goes beyond the box score, but the question now is whether a contender in need will view him as enough of a fit to make the Steelers seriously weigh a deal. [Read more 🡒]
George Pickens Situation Suddenly Looks Worth Watching For Steelers Fans
George Pickens is back in the conversation, and for Steelers fans, it is the kind of familiar name that tends to draw a second look. The receiver is now in Dallas on the franchise tag, and his role there has not matched the kind of usage he saw last season, which has only added to the sense that his situation deserves monitoring as the season rolls on.
The wrinkle for Pittsburgh is less about a reunion fantasy and more about the reminder of why the Steelers moved on in the first place. Even if Pickens were to surface as a trade possibility, the old questions would still be there, and the sense around the league is that Pittsburgh would be unlikely to circle back for a long-term answer. [Read more 🡒]