Analyst: Steelers Are Threat to Two Super Bowl Contenders

The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a heater right now, having won six of their last seven games, and they're the type of team that no opponent wants to run into, especially in the playoffs.

On Yahoo Sports' Inside Coverage podcast, Frank Schwab stated his belief that the Steelers pose a significant threat to the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, who are currently the top two seeds in the AFC.

"The Steelers are as rock-solid as you can get," Schwab said. "Just a good football team that I think is going to win this division, now that the Ravens dropped another game, and be the type of team in the playoffs you just don't want to play. The Bills don't want to see this team in the playoffs. The Chiefs even don't want to see this team in the playoffs. They are tough, they are good, and they can win games in many different ways."

Pittsburgh owns a 9-3 record while sitting a game-and-a-half up on the Ravens in the AFC North. It has not hosted a postseason game since 2020, which marks the last time it won the division, and there have not been fans at Acrisure Stadium for such an event since January 2018.

The Steelers' lack of recent success in the playoffs has been well-documented, as they have not won a game in that portion of their season since 2016.

There's reason to believe this year could be different, however, as the offense has consistently performed under Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith's guidance while the defense holds a tie for the sixth-fewest points allowed per game at 18.7.

Pittsburgh will not face Buffalo, who eliminated it at Highmark Stadium in last year's playoffs, during the regular season. The Bills sit a game ahead of the Steelers for the No. 2 seed with a 10-2 record, and remain dangerous as ever with Josh Allen at quarterback.

Kansas City has won back-to-back Super Bowls, though they appear slightly more susceptible to a postseason disappointment this time around. Patrick Mahomes hasn't put up quite as gaudy numbers as you would expect, though he's still a force to be reckoned with, and the team won by a combined five points over the 3-9 Carolina Panthers and 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders the past two weeks.

Pittsburgh is set to take on the Chiefs in Week 17 on Christmas Day, which should serve as a good litmus test for where the black and gold sit ahead of the playoffs.

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