NFL
It’s not the Chiefs, it’s not the Lions, why this is the hottest team right now in the NFL
After 10 weeks of the NFL season, it’s looking like a Lions vs Chiefs Super Bowl is in our future, but there’s one other team that shouldn’t be overlooked.
As we head into Week 11 of the NFL season, there will be some telling games. The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs face the 8-2 Buffalo Bills with the AFC top seed on the line. The 7-3 Washington Commanders will look to take back their top spot in the NFC East as they face rivals Philadelphia Eagles (7-2). And the 7-2 Baltimore Ravens and 7-3 Pittsburgh Steelers will battle it out for first place in the AFC North.
While the Chiefs being undefeated is far from the biggest surprise of the season, several other teams have had unexpected outcomes midway through. No one saw the Commanders as Super Bowl contenders before the season started, but rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has proven over and over that he can perform in clutch moments.
That is, until Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers came to town and beat them 20-17.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The hottest NFL team flying under the radar
After nine games, the Steelers have lost just two. Embarrassingly, those were to the lowly Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. But since that loss to the Cowboys in Week 5, things have changed.
Head coach Mike Tomlin put Russell Wilson in at quarterback after he recovered from a calf injury and since then, he’s gone 3-0. Justin Fields was under center before that and while he did a good job getting wins (4-2), his stats were not the most impressive. When Wilson came in, he immediately made an impact.
At first, wins over the New York Jets and New York Giants could be written off. But last week, they came into Washington’s territory to beat the red hot Commanders.
Their Week 11 matchup against their AFC North rivals Ravens will be important in determining their playoff future, but at the moment, they look like legitimate contenders, to the surprise of pretty much everyone. They have found ways to make it work with both quarterbacks this season. The difference with Wilson is that it has greatly opened up their pass game.
The Steelers already have two great running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and with Wilson under center, wide receiver George Pickens has been able to break out. Before the trade deadline, they added Mike Williams to that mix, which proved to be another great addition as he logged a 32-yard touchdown in his first game with the Steelers, lifting them over the Commanders for the win.
Pittsburgh has also been making changes to its defense, which allowed them to hold Jayden Daniels to zero touchdowns. Wilson gives the Steelers something they‘ve lacked for the last few years. He‘s calculated and confident in pushing the ball down the field. They now rank 13th in scoring offense this season.
The Steelers are the dark horse that no one expected to see at the top of the AFC North in Week 10, let alone as legitimate contenders for a deep playoff run. But they‘re here proving that the Super Bowl is never out of reach and they shouldn’t be overlooked.