Jaguars 29, Steelers 22

It wasn't hard to see this loss coming ("What are the Chances...?" is now 11-3 on the season and 24-6 all-time in terms of prognostication). The good news is that Pittsburgh still controls its own destiny: Two wins and the Steelers win the AFC North -- guaranteed. The bad news is that the last two games are on the road and Mike Tomlin & Co. are 2-4 away from home this season.

I imagine that Pittsburgh fans are now griping that the team's defense is "the worst" and "looks old," and that our O-line is "an embarrassment." Get over it. We've known all along that this team probably wouldn't be good enough to compete for a Super Bowl title. Certainly, Big Ben is doing a great job of covering up the team's deficiencies on offense, and it's rare that a QB is consistently able to do that in today's NFL.

Browns let Steelers off the hook

To paraphrase former NFL coach Dennis Green, the Browns "let them [Steelers] off the hook" today. Leading 21-6 in the second quarter, the Browns seemed poised to move into a first place tie with the Steelers in the AFC North. Truth be told, the Browns dominated the first quarter-and-a-half, as the Steelers appeared to be suffering from a Monday Night hangover. Eventually the Steelers got going and pulled ahead, only to allow a second long-distance return (flashback to PR Eric Metcalf !) to KR Joshua Cribbs. Luckily for the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger was able to engineer a game winning drive, leaving the Steelers 7-2 and in firm control of the division.

"What are the Chances...?" is now 8-1 this season and 21-4 all-time.

AFC North, position-by-position preview

Pro Football Weekly (PFW) has just published an up-to-date AFC North preview, arguably the best and most accurate preview available. As one might expect, PFW considers the Steelers' offensive line as the team's greatest weakness, giving it a "C" grade. Click here to preview all four teams; the Steelers' analysis is at the bottom of the page.

Long Odds on Steelers Winning the AFC

The MGM-Mirage odds for winning a conference title in 2007 are as follows: The Patriots, Colts, Chargers and Ravens are the top four favorites in the AFC, followed by the Bengals (6-1), Broncos (6-1) and Jets (8-1). The Steelers are eighth at 10-1 odds. To me that sounds about right, although I would flip-flop the Chargers and Colts, as well as the Steelers and Jets.

Click here to view a complete list of the odds for all NFL teams.

Another Publication Predicts Losing Season

As noted by The FanHouse, yet another national sports publication (The Sporting News) has predicted a losing season (7-9) for the Steelers in 2007. I don't understand why all the preseason prognosticators are so pessimistic.

The naysayers point to Mike Tomlin's inexperience and changes in scheme as reasons for concern, but I don't necessarily believe this will be a "transition year." Recall that Bill Cowher inherited a 7-9 team, yet in Cowher's first season the Steelers started 3-0 ("Cowher Power!"), finished 11-5, and earned the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

I'm not suggesting that the Steelers will win 11 games or win the AFC North in 2007, but without a doubt, Tomlin inherits a better team than Cowher did. And when it comes to head coaches, "experience" is overrated. In fact, head coaching changes often spark a team; just look at the New York Jets' experience with Eric Mangini. Finally, as The Steelyard noted in a widely circulated post (May/07), the presence of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gives Tomlin a very good chance to succeed.

Handicapper's Preview, AFC North

The latest online edition of Pro Football Weekly includes a "handicapper's preview" of the AFC North. For the most part, I agree with Mike Wilkening's conclusions regarding all four teams, although I would take issue with the statement that "QB Ben Roethlisberger is turnover-prone and given to fits of just awful play." Looking at Big Ben's career as a whole, that is not an accurate description. Second, I'm not sure the Steelers' defense faces a "transition period." Finally, I don't believe that "Pittsburgh's roster is among the most talented in the game." I'm more inclined to think that the coaches have done a good job maximizing the talent at their disposal.

Click here to read the preview.