It's a built-in opportunity for some self-evaluation, and for the Steelers this particular bye comes along essentially halfway through their 17-game regular season schedule. Following a 26-18 victory over the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium on Monday Night Football, the Steelers are 6-2 heading into their bye week.
Certainly not a finished product because there are obvious areas that need work, but just as certainly there are a lot of things to like about how this team got to where it is at this point of its season.
Mathematically, 6-2 places them atop the AFC North Division, with a one-game lead over 5-3 Baltimore and a three-game lead over 3-5 Cincinnati. Their 6-2 also currently places them as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, behind 7-0 Kansas City and 6-2 Houston. Their 6-2 was attained with a three-game winning streak to open the season, followed by a two-game losing streak, and now this current three-game winning streak takes them into their bye as a nice bounce-back.
But their reality is all that does for them is provide a foundation for the real work that's ahead: all 6 of their games against AFC North opponents, plus trips to Washington and Philadelphia and then a Christmas Day date with the 2-time defending champion Chiefs. Viewed on paper, that's a daunting 9-week stretch, but one of the intangibles these Steelers seem to have is a proven NFL veteran presence at quarterback, who understands what 6-2 really means at Halloween when you're still going to be playing through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
"I think our practice habits have been really exceptional," said Russell Wilson. "We've got to continue to grow on that every day. We've done a really good job of that. We've got to press in. There are more touchdowns out there, more plays, more things. We'll do that.
"I think the best thing about it is learning from what we've done really well so far, learning what we can get better at, but also understanding that it's a process. You want to be on the rise as you go. I think we're on that journey right now. We're on that train of just continuing to grow. I think that's an exciting thing for this football team, what we're doing, how we're doing it."
A couple of weeks ago, Coach Mike Tomlin gave Wilson a chance to be what he has been throughout his 12 full seasons in the NFL, and what's been happening with the Steelers offense since is encouraging. For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have a quarterback who can get a pre-snap read, recognize where the ball should go, and then deliver a pass that's on time and accurate, and do it to a number of different receivers.
With Wilson at quarterback, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III have become productive wide receivers as a complement to George Pickens; the tight ends are more involved, with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington having receptions of 30, 29, 18, and 11 yards; and all of that has loosened things for a running game weaponized by Najee Harris' combative style with the separation to rip off chunks of 10, 26, 14, 34, 18, and 10 yards.
The Steelers are in the process of developing a version of the kind of offense that's necessary to be an effective complement on a winning team. Coordinator Arthur Smith has a nice feel as a play-caller, the weekly plan is based on the strengths/vulnerabilities of each opponent, and it is inclusive.
If not for a facemask penalty on Broderick Jones, Wilson to Pickens would've been good for an 11-yard touchdown to cap an 8-play, 70-yard drive, and then if not for some faulty footwork by Pickens on another, the same combo would've had a 9-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play 70-yard drive. Granted, two "almost" touchdowns meant settling for field goals, but getting into position for two "almost" touchdowns is an improvement.
Having proper hand placement to avoid an inadvertent facemask penalty can be corrected, and more detail with footwork along the boundary can be practiced, but having an offense capable of moving the football effectively and efficiently during the opening 22 minutes of a game is not something the Steelers have had in recent seasons. That's progress.
What they already have going for them is their special teams finding different ways to make a positive impact each week. A placekicker who's 23-of-24 (95.8 percent) after going 4-for-4 on Monday night. A punter averaging 46.8 yards per, with his 29 kicks being returned for a combined 63 yards. Blocking field goals, blocking punts, and against the Giants a 73-yard touchdown on a punt return by Austin, a blossoming playmaker who added a 29-yard touchdown reception.
Another asset is what will be referred to here as the T.J. Watt Effect. A special talent with a combination of work ethic, intelligence, and approach to excellence, Watt finds different ways to deliver in significant situations to impact the outcome of a game. In Atlanta, he ended the game with a sack. In Las Vegas, he forced 2 fumbles that were recovered by 2 teammates to prevent 2 touchdowns. Against the Giants, it was 2 sacks, one of which was a sack-strip-recovery that turned a third-and-7 from the Steelers 19-yard line into a takeaway.
They will get Cam Sutton back to add to the mix in the defensive backfield, where rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. has accelerated his development via weekly sessions with a former secondary coach named Mike Tomlin, who broke into the league in Tampa and coached a young Ronde Barber into a Gold Jacket.
Against the Giants, Bishop came up with his third interception in the last two weeks as he flashes a nose for the football. The expected return of Nick Herbig will give them an extra flame-thrower to come off the edge. Maybe they get Cory Trice Jr. back to add more depth to the secondary.
But also against the Giants, the run defense allowed 157 yards on a 6.3-yard average, and the tackling was especially suspect on a 45-yard gain by rookie Tyrone Tracy. The Steelers nickel alignment was exploited too often by New York's running game, which served to protect quarterback Daniel Jones from taking too many chances.
The Giants killed themselves with 11 penalties for 65 yards that were costly and untimely, and the Steelers cannot rely on that level of charity from opponents moving forward.
Yes, 0-for-4 in the red zone can't be overcome every time. And yes, the run defense. And yes, the schedule they're facing will present real challenges. But these Steelers look to have the makings of some weapons of their own at their disposal, not the least of which is a proven NFL-caliber starting quarterback.
