The AFC North isn’t as competitive this season as it usually is. None of its four teams look like Super Bowl contenders. In fact, none of them currently have a winning record. The Baltimore Ravens are at the top, but they’re 6-6. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also 6-6, with the Ravens only above them due to a tiebreaker. While many people are giving up on the Steelers as potential AFC North winners, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski still believes in Pittsburgh.
“I think they’ve got the most complete team in the division,” Gronkowski said Wednesday on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. “They’ve just got to put it together. There’s a lot of nonsense going on. I feel like they’re gonna put it together.
“They’re gonna finally dig deep. I feel like they’re gonna dig deep once again and they’re gonna be able to pull it off and drive down the field and pick it up in all aspects of the game. They have the pieces to do it.”
Every team competing for the AFC North crown has major flaws. The Cincinnati Bengals just got Joe Burrow back, which gave them a spark, but they’re still two games out of first place. Also, their defense is one of the NFL’s worst. It might be too little, too late for them to make a push to win the AFC North.
The Ravens had a brutal start to this season, but they’re 5-1 in their last six games. However, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. Lamar Jackson is special, but he hasn’t looked the same since returning from a hamstring injury. Derrick Henry isn’t having the same type of production that he had last year, either. The Ravens’ defense is struggling, too, and is ranked 26th in the league.
That’s led Gronkowski to label the Steelers as the most complete team in the division. However, that hasn’t been evident. The Steelers have looked far from complete. They’ve struggled to put together complete performances all season.
They made some big changes offensively this offseason, but that hasn’t made much of a difference. That unit looks sluggish once again. The Steelers haven’t been able to rely on their defense either. That unit looks good on paper, but that hasn’t meant much on the field. Most recently, it got run over for almost 250 rushing yards.
Gronkowski is correct that the Steelers need to dig deep. They’re playing the Ravens this week. The winner of that game will be in the driver’s seat in the AFC North. It’s an opportunity for the Steelers to bounce back. Despite their flaws, their season isn’t over yet.
