Steelers Stand Alone at Top of AFC North

Through two weeks of the NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers stand alone on top of the AFC North standings.

Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) hands off to running back Najee Harris (22) in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers sit alone on top of the ultra-competitive AFC North with a 2-0 record. The last time the Steelers enjoyed that comfort was the final week of the 2020 season - so long ago there was only 16 games in a season.

The Steelers are the only undefeated team in the division after a 13-6 win against the Denver Broncos in week two. The two pre-season favorites to win the division, the Baltimore Ravens
and Cincinnati Bengals, have started their seasons 0-2. The Cleveland Browns found a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and sit below the Steelers at 1-1.

In the offseason, Steelers fans lamented the difficulty of their favorite team's schedule - especially after Thanksgiving. "That is the toughest schedule I've ever seen, Thanksgiving on, in league history," Colin Cowherd of Sports Fox said on The Herd Podcast. The Steelers end their season playing eight straight teams that made the playoffs last season. That stretch includes four games against divisional opponents from Week 11-14 and a Christmas Day game against the back-to-back Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Due to the Steeler's never-before-seen schedule difficulty, the black and gold needed to start the season hot. While the Steelers typically do well in divisional games - the last time they finished with a division record worse than 3-3 was 2009 - hosting the Ravnes, then traveling to Cleveland on a short week, then to Cincinnati and back then back to Cleveland is not ideal.

It is easily argued the AFC North is the best division in the NFL - they are the only division to send three teams to the playoffs twice in the last four seasons. Given the level of competition inside the division and the AFC at large, any advantage the Steelers can get is much needed.

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