The Pittsburgh Steelers were not supposed to be this good coming into the 2024 NFL season. The team did not have its quarterback situation figured out between veteran Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, whom they acquired from the Chicago Bears.
Wilson injured his calf in training camp, and Fields led the QB1 spot. The Steelers started the season 4-2 before Wilson was back healthy. Then, head coach Mike Tomlin surprised everyone by benching Fields and received quite a lot of criticism from the NFL world.
But the Steelers are 2-0 with Wilson, coming off a 26-18 win against the New York Giants. The team has looked much better and more explosive under the nine-time Pro Bowl QB. The Steelers have taken everyone by surprise. Yet, one franchise legend believes the league is still underestimating the AFC North giants.
Ben Roethlisberger Explains Why League Is Sleeping on the Steelers
On Tuesday’s episode of his podcast Footbahlin, Roethlisberger spoke about the Steelers’ 6-2 start and detailed why he believes the NFL still perceives the team in a different way.
“[League is underestimating Steelers] because they’re winning like in some like not sexy fashion,” Roethlisberger said. “They’re not blowing people out. I know last week they kind of got it but yeah.”
He continued, “You came into this year as the Pittsburgh Steelers not even knowing who your quarterback was going to be. And all of a sudden they are 6-2. You ask anybody, that is well beyond expectations of what anybody except people in that building probably expected.
“Cuz in that building they expect greatness every time they go out. But 6-2 at the halfway point, man, any Pittsburgh fan will take. At the end of the day doesn’t matter how you’re winning as long as you’re winning.”
Roethlisberger also warned the league of underestimating the Steelers’ potential for a few crucial reasons.
Steelers Aware of Challenges Ahead After 6-2 Start
The Steelers are off to their second-best start to the season heading into bye week since 2020, when they went 8-0. The team is gaining momentum on the offense under Wilson and they are moving the ball at will.
Wilson is spreading the ball on the offense. The Steelers produced 426 yards on the offense last night, going for 400+ yards in both of Wilson’s starts and only once in Fields’ six starts. The team had 20 first downs against the Giants, with 13 of them coming in the first half.
Wilson, who’s returning from a calf injury, said he felt “more fluid” between his two starts. He is finding his rhythm after missing a bunch of games for the first time in his career. Wilson threw for 278 yards, one touchdown, and had a passer rating of 114.9. In doing so, he also surpassed Earl Morrall (502) for the most passing yards as a Steeler (542) after his first two starts, according to ESPN.
Still, there’s a long way to go. Wilson knows it. The Steelers know it.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Wilson said. “We’re obviously sitting here at 6-2, which is a great thing, but it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything. When we look back at it all, we got to be making sure that we’re staying focused on the next task, and that’s to really take care of our bodies, take care of our minds, enjoy this with your families and all that stuff this bye week.”
After their bye week, the Steelers will have a much tougher schedule, starting with the Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals.