The 2024 NFL season is leaving few things to chance. The Chiefs and Lions are advancing steadily in their respective conferences, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is passing under the radar, and that is where Mike Tomlin’s team appears dangerous.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) hands off to Cordarrelle Patterson, right, in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Virginia-born coach has already signed his eighteenth season without a losing record, meaning that since 2007, the year he signed as the franchise’s coach, the team has never finished the year with more losses than wins.
A consistency that translates into 12 playoff qualifications, seven division titles, three appearances in the conference finals and one Super Bowl title, achieved against the Cardinals in edition number XLIII. This year, in addition, they have a Lombardi Trophy champion commanding the attack, and with Russell Wilson, the Steelers have had six wins and only one loss in the seven weeks in which Wilson has been a starter, also adding three divisional victories , who seems to have regained the trust he lost with Sean Payton in the Broncos.
The Browns’ loss in Pittsburgh also marks the 21st consecutive loss (in the regular season) for the Cleveland team in their visits to Acrisure Stadium, the second worst mark in history.
Pending accounts
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson warms up before an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
Although the Steelers are taking shape, it is true that they are facing a negative streak of five consecutive losses in the Playoffs, where they have not won since the divisional round played on January 15, 2017 against the Chiefs, when Ben Roethlisberger was the starting quarterback.
And in these years the Pennsylvania team has seen how it has to share the throne with the New England Patriots as the winningest franchises in history, with six Super Bowls each. The challenge this season is to play again in the American football grand final, which they have not played since the XLV edition, when they lost to the Packers.
After three seasons without playing in the playoffs, Russell Wilson has thrown 12 passing touchdowns with only three interceptions in 2024, and will seek to become the fourth quarterback to play in the Super Bowl with two different teams so far this century, after Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) sits on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. quarterback Justin Fields is at left. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
But not all of the team’s success lies in the attack, where George Pickens, Najee Harris and the recent addition Mike Williams are showing their face, but the defense once again prevails for another year.
TJ Watt, defensive player of the year in 2021, Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joe Porter and rookie Beanie Bishop are the names that hold the fifth best defense in the league in terms of points received. One more incentive to take into account a history of the competition again.
