Mike Tomlin’s greatness as a coach has never been in question, but the Steelers’ 3-0 start this season serves as yet another reminder of his coaching brilliance.
Even before this season, we knew Tomlin was top-tier, but leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to an undefeated start, atop the AFC North, only reinforces his ability. Despite essentially playing with a backup quarterback in Justin Fields — who is quickly solidifying his place as the full-time starter — the Steelers have dominated in classic Tomlin fashion. The team’s gritty, tough approach, anchored by a ferocious defense and a strong running game, has limited opponents to fewer than 10 points in each of their first three games.
Not many expected the Steelers to be among the last five undefeated teams, especially without an established quarterback. All those who predicted this team would be perfect at this point, please stand up. Thought so. Yet here they are, rolling, with the summer’s quarterback controversy between Fields and Russell Wilson now a distant memory.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has done a stellar job designing an offense tailored to Fields’ strengths, while the defense remains as imposing as ever — a trademark of the Steelers. T.J. Watt continues to be a game-wrecker, and the secondary has made noticeable improvements.
I’ll admit it: at the start of the season, I pegged the Steelers as the worst team in the division, regardless of who was under center. Steelers fans, understandably, roasted me for it. And now, I have to say, I was dead wrong. The Steelers are the best team in the AFC North right now, while Cleveland, not Pittsburgh, occupies the bottom rung.
The Steelers have jumped to fifth in my Power Rankings heading into their road game against the Colts. Things will get tougher after that, with matchups against the Cowboys (if they prove to be a real threat) and the Jets in October.
By November, we’ll have a much clearer picture of who the Steelers really are. But for now, they’re undefeated, playing hard-nosed football, and proving, once again, that Mike Tomlin is one of the league’s elite coaches.
I know, I doubted them, and now I look like a fool. Steelers Nation, feel free to wave those Terrible Towels in my face — I deserve it. Just remember, it’s early, and the NFL is a league where fortunes can change quickly.
BIGGEST MOVERS
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| 1 |
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They are winning close games, but the record says they are undefeated. I still think the best is yet to come. Travis Kelce needs to pick it up. | — | 3-0-0 |
| 2 |
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This team is rolling right now. But now comes a big one with the Ravens on the road. Josh Allen is the MVP leader right now. | — | 3-0-0 |
| 3 |
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The good news is Sam Darnold isn’t badly hurt. Did I just write that? Yes because he’s played so well in the 3-0 start that his health really matters. | 2 | 3-0-0 |
| 4 |
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At 3-0, they are one of the best teams right now. But they haven’t faced a tough schedule. We will find out more about them this week against the Lions. | 3 | 3-0-0 |
| 5 |
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Whoever plays this team will be in for a physical battle each and every week. They might not be pretty, but they know how to win games. | 5 | 3-0-0 |
| 6 |
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They lost for the first time as their offense was dominated by the Vikings. Now we get to see how C.J. Stroud and company handle the response to a bad day. | 3 | 2-1-0 |
| 7 |
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That late-game touchdown to beat the Saints really changes the dynamic of their season. At 2-1, they are good heading to Tampa. At 1-2, things would be a lot different. | 11 | 2-1-0 |
| 8 |
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Matt LaFleur has done a great job getting this team two wins without Jordan Love. Malik Willis has played well, but the defense has really come up big. | 4 | 2-1-0 |
| 9 |
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That was a horrible showing against the Broncos in their first loss. The defense was bad and the offensive line was whipped. Now here come the Eagles. | 5 | 2-1-0 |
| 10 |
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After losing to the Bucs, they bounced back against the Cardinals with a victory. But they still don’t quite look like the team we expect to see. | 1 | 2-1-0 |
| 11 |
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If Aaron Rodgers is slinging it like he did against the Patriots, the Jets will push for a Super Bowl. The run game is good and the defense is back to being dominant. | 9 | 2-1-0 |
| 12 |
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They blew a game they should have won against the Eagles. Derek Carr and the offense sure didn’t look as good as they did the first two weeks. | 6 | 2-1-0 |
| 13 |
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They beat the Cowboys behind their running game, but they sure did make it interesting in the second half. The defense has to tighten up. | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| 14 |
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Losing Justin Herbert ended their chances against the Steelers. If he misses time with that ankle injury, they have major problems that their power offense can’t fix. | 5 | 2-1-0 |
| 15 |
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All the injuries have proven to be too much for this team. It’s hard to believe they are 1-2, but when you lose stars it’s tough to overcome it. | 7 | 1-2-0 |
| 16 |
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They have major defensive issues that put so much pressure on the offense. Maybe Mike Zimmer didn’t fix it after all. | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| 17 |
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The Commanders have their quarterback for the long run. Jayden Daniels will be a star. We saw that in the victory over the Bengals on Monday night. | 12 | 2-1-0 |
| 18 |
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Caleb Williams did some good things in the loss to the Colts, but the turnovers were killers. Even so, it’s progress. | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| 19 |
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Sean McVay got this team their first victory Sunday against the 49ers after they trailed by 14 points in the second half. They are undermanned, but he does a great job overcoming it. | 6 | 1-2-0 |
| 20 |
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They had a real chance to get to 2-1 against the Chiefs, but came up short. The end-of-game decisions didn’t help. The defense has been solid. | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| 21 |
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Anthony Richardson is still too inconsistent, but at least they gave the ball to Jonathan Taylor in this game. They need to lean on that more. | 6 | 1-2-0 |
| 22 |
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Sean Payton showed he owns the Bucs with Todd Bowles as coach. That was a clinic. Bo Nix is getting better. | 8 | 1-2-0 |
| 23 |
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The offense wasn’t as crisp against the Lions and it cost them. But they will be in a lot of games, even if they don’t win them. | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| 24 |
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They won for the first time at Cleveland with an impressive defensive showing. The pass rush came alive. Malik Nabers is special. | 7 | 1-2-0 |
| 25 |
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Without Tua Tagovailoa, they just don’t have enough to score points – even with the explosive receivers. This is going to be a long season without him. | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| 26 |
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At 1-2 with two home losses, they have to be considered a major disappointment so far. Deshaun Watson is struggling. | 7 | 1-2-0 |
| 27 |
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That victory over the Bengals seems way in the rearview mirror. The offense isn’t very good. How long before it’s Drake Maye time? | 1 | 1-2-0 |
| 28 |
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The defense is horrible right now. At 0-3, they are in a deep hole. Can they climb out of it? | 6 | 0-3-0 |
| 29 |
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Andy Dalton made this a different team. He was sharp and accurate and the confidence bled over to the rest of the team. Benching Bryce Young looks to be the right decision. | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| 30 |
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That was a terrible showing against the Panthers at home. So much for the momentum after beating the Ravens. The defense was awful and a quarterback change could be coming. | 16 | 1-2-0 |
| 31 |
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This team is a disaster. The offense isn’t good, the defense is bad and the coaching isn’t great. At 0-3, they are done. | 7 | 0-3-0 |
| 32 |
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They have a Will Levis problem right now. He is turning the ball over too much. Oh, and the offensive line is really bad. | 4 | 0-3-0 |