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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson tries to escape the Browns defense during the 2018 regular-season finale in Baltimore.
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Ron Cook: The Steelers have a chance due to mediocre AFC North

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Ron Cook: The Steelers have a chance due to mediocre AFC North

The Steelers are a mess. Their franchise quarterback is out for the season. Their Pro Bowl running back can’t hold on to the ball. Their free-agent addition at wide receiver can’t get on the field. Their expensive offensive line is underachieving. Their one quality tight end is hurt again. Their defense can’t make a stop when it needs one. Their star defensive end has been disappointing. Their three new defensive additions, including their heavily hyped No. 1 pick, have been worse. Their head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators have been outcoached in three consecutive games.

The Steelers are 0-3. Since 1980, only six of 176 teams that started 0-3 made the playoffs, although the Houston Texans did it last season. That’s 3.4%. This is the Steelers’ 87th season. In their first 86 seasons, they started 0-3 13 times and missed the playoffs each time.

Other than that, all is well.

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Most years, I would say the Steelers are finished. I would do a Jim Mora, scrunch up my face famously and screech, “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”

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But I’m not quite ready to go there this season for one reason: The AFC North Division has the potential to be awful.

The Baltimore Ravens are 2-1 with games ahead at home against Cleveland, at Pittsburgh, home against Cincinnati, at Seattle and home against New England. I see them at 4-4 at the halfway point of the season.

The Cleveland Browns are 1-2 with both losses at home. Their games ahead are at Baltimore, at San Francisco, home against Seattle, at New England and at Denver. I see them no better than 3-5.

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The Steelers’ schedule is much easier, at least on paper. They have winless Cincinnati at home Monday night followed by a home game against Baltimore, a road game at Los Angeles against the Chargers and home games against winless Miami and Indianapolis. I see them at 4-4, tied for first place.

Imagine that.

 

Who knows what might happen in the second half?

It’s not out of the question to think the AFC North winner will finish with a 9-7 record.

Minkah Fitzpatrick made his Pittsburgh debut against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3.
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I know, I might be delusional to think the Steelers, with all of their problems and without Ben Roethlisberger, can go 9-4 the rest of the way. I admit that. I also might be crazy to think they can go 5-1 in the division. That would mean winning their home games against Cincinnati, Baltimore and Cleveland and also beating Cincinnati and Cleveland or Baltimore on the road.

I’m just not ready to rule out the possibility.

I’m not sold on the Ravens. Their two wins came against Miami and Arizona. Will Lamar Jackson stay healthy all season? Will he be accurate enough as a passer? We’ll see.

I can picture Freddie Kitchens, Baker Mayfield and the Browns collapsing under the weight of heavy expectations. Look at their schedule again. It’s brutal until they play Buffalo at home Nov. 10, and even the Bills are 3-0.

Of course, none of what the Ravens and Browns do will matter if the Steelers don’t solve their own issues.

Roethlisberger isn’t coming back this season, so it will be up to Mason Rudolph with plenty of help from his friends. The Steelers said they had a first-round grade on Rudolph when they drafted him in 2018. It’s time to start trusting him. Why not let him throw the ball downfield more than he did Sunday in the loss at San Francisco? It wouldn’t hurt Rudolph if his offensive line, including three Pro Bowlers, got back to playing physical football and dominating the line of scrimmage. That’s long overdue. It also wouldn’t hurt if James Conner ran as hard and as decisively as he did last season and didn’t lose another hurtful fourth-quarter fumble. I still can’t believe Jaylen Samuels didn’t get a touch as a runner or a receiver against the 49ers.

The Steelers defense has been much improved at least when it comes to takeaways. It had seven in the past two games, including five on Sunday. But for the second consecutive week, it couldn’t stop the opponent in the fourth quarter. The 49ers ran for 168 yards, the Seattle Seahawks 152 the week before. That’s embarrassing.

I’m thinking a home game against the Bengals is just what the Steelers need to start the healing process.

I know it’s not much, but it’s all I’ve got.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter@RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

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First Published: September 24, 2019, 10:00 a.m.

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