The AFC North is crowded, and that’s exactly why Pittsburgh still has a real path to the division crown.
Through four weeks, every team in the division is sitting at .500 or better, with the Steelers one game back of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland is 3-1, but there’s already a sense around the division that the record might not stay that clean for long. Baltimore, meanwhile, may be dealing with a much bigger problem.
Lamar Jackson hurt his ankle in Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, and Ian Rapoport reported that the former MVP could miss multiple games. That matters for Pittsburgh, especially with a stretch ahead that looks manageable on paper: the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and then the second meeting with the Browns.
If the Steelers can put together a 3-1 run in that span, and the Ravens hit a rough patch over the next month and a half, the division race stays very much alive.
The early schedule hasn’t exactly handed Pittsburgh anything, either. One fan pointed out that the Steelers have already beaten two 2-2 teams and lost to a 3-1 team and a 2-2 team, with that 2-2 opponent coming off a win over Buffalo in Buffalo. The point is simple: nothing has been easy so far, and the next few weeks will tell the story.
Pittsburgh will need to handle Indianapolis first, then navigate a Buccaneers team that may enter with a losing record but also with the rest and preparation edge after playing on Thursday night. The same kind of prep advantage helped Atlanta tonight, and the Steelers will get it against the Colts.
For now, the door is still open.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans May See Joey Porter Jr. Trade Very Differently Now
The Cowboys acquisition of Joey Porter Jr. came with the usual instant questions about what comes next, but the early read on his approach may ease some of that anxiety. Rather than pushing immediately for a new deal, Porter is reportedly willing to play out his current contract, which gives Dallas some breathing room as it sorts through the longer-term picture around one of its newest defensive additions.
For Steelers fans, that detail may change the way the move is viewed from afar. Porters market value is estimated at around $27.4 million per year, so the price tag is still substantial, but the bigger issue now appears to be how much security and how many years the Cowboys want to offer when the time comes. The contract conversation is not going away, but the early signs suggest this may be more about fit and timing than any urgent showdown over money. [Read more 🡒]
Missing Steelers Fan Case In Cleveland Just Took A Disturbing Turn
A trip to Cleveland for a football game has turned into a search that now carries real weight. Phoenix Phillips, a 24-year-old from Maryland, was last seen downtown after attending the game, and police have said his disappearance is concerning. His phone was found, adding to the unease around a case that has quickly moved beyond a simple missing-person report.
Authorities have also recovered an unidentified body near the area where Phillips was last known to be, though they have not confirmed any connection. The investigation remains active, and online chatter has added another layer of noise around Phillips, with unverified allegations tying him to unauthorized trading and scamming. For now, though, the only thing that matters is the unanswered question of what happened after he left the game. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb Shares A Feel Good Life Update
For a Steelers defense still trying to settle in through a 2-2 start, Cole Holcomb has had a more personal milestone to celebrate away from the field. Holcomb and his wife, Casey, welcomed their second child this week, a baby boy named Drew Jarrett, or DJ, adding a bright spot to a season that has already had its share of on-field grind for the veteran inside linebacker.
Holcomb has continued to be part of Pittsburghs mix in the middle of the defense, even as the early weeks have brought a little bit of everything, including an NFL fine for a blindside block on a special teams play in Week 3. The newborn news, though, is the kind of update that can reset a players week in a hurry, and it gives Holcomb and his family a memorable moment as the Steelers move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]