Dunlap: Steelers Should Make The Super Bowl
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The Steelers should make it to the Super Bowl this season.
There, I said it.
Barring any catastrophic injury or some ridiculous unforeseen circumstance like Martavis Bryant doing something to bring the whole team down, the Steelers should make it to the Super Bowl.
There you go.
As of right now, the early-portion of November with the Steelers sitting at a 6-2 mark just halfway through the season, go ahead and proclaim it Super Bowl Or Bust.
Because that's exactly what I am doing. This is a team that should be headed for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in early February and, if they aren't, it will be a huge disappointment.
Now, now, now, I understand their penchant for losing games that they should win and fully grasp that sort of game awaits them in Indianapolis on Sunday. I get that --- but this time, coming off an open week, it won't happen.
Then push through the regular-season schedule and look at the road bumps ahead. Other than the suddenly-shaky Patriots (who have lost two games on their home turf) what game jumps out at you?
For me, none of them really. For certain, that Dec. 17 matchup against Tom Brady and his merry band of deflators at Heinz Field will serve as a stern test, but this is a Steelers defensive backfield that has warded off both Matthew Stafford and Alex Smith, two very fine passers this season.
Can they do the same against Brady? At Heinz Field, I wouldn't bet against them.
A look at the other games on the schedule reveal two teams that looked to be problematic about a month ago, but now have ginormous quarterback problems in Green Bay and Houston.
Other than that, who do you think gives the Steelers much of a problem as they get five of their last eight at home? The Ravens, Browns or Titans at Heinz or Bengals on the road? Sorry, I'm just not seeing much difficulty there unless, again, the Steelers are felled by a heavy injury blow.
It isn't only the local narrative or some Yinzeriffic way of thinking that the Steelers just might be the best team in the AFC.
When NFL Network analyst --- and former Ravens coach --- Brian Billick joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Tuesday, he said this: "There is no reason why the Steelers shouldn't make that deep run all the way to the Super Bowl."
Those are hefty words.
And from a voice I respect who knows a gabillion times more football that most people walking the planet.
Granted, the playoffs are a different animal and getting through those always serve as a gargantuan task, but as we sit here in November, there is no better team in the AFC than the Pittsburgh Steelers. There just is not.
That's why you can proclaim it at this point. This team should be special. This team should reach the Super Bowl.
If they don't, you should be heavily disappointed. We are there --- we have firmly moved into Super Bowl Or Bust talk territory.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
