Dec 9, 2022 5 min read

Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher liked to describe an NFL season as a marathon, not a sprint.

And that was when the NFL season was 16 games, not the 17-game schedule the league now plays.

Cowher’s meaning was that there is ebb and flow to a season. Teams that start quickly can fade for a variety of reasons, while teams that start slowly can get their act together and play better.

Injuries are often a big part of that equation.

Inexperienced players getting better as a season goes on is another.

For the Steelers this season, it’s been a little of both.

Losing T.J. Watt for a large chunk of the season was a big deal. How much so? The Steelers are 4-1 this season with Watt in the lineup. They’re 1-6 without him.

But equally as important has been the development of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and a young offensive line.

That the Steelers are better with Watt should surprise no one. He’s the defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

That Pickett is continuing to get better isn’t really a shock, either. After all, he was a first-round draft pick.

But that line? With two new starters in center Mason Cole and guard James Daniels added to a group that included just one starter, right tackle Chuks Okorafor, who had more than one season’s worth of starts under his belt, this is a complete surprise.

The Steelers’ offensive line ranked 28th in the NFL in DVOA (Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average) on Football Outsiders in 2021.

This season, the Steelers are now up to 11th in the NFL in the same metric.

And all five starters, who are under the age of 26, are under contract for 2023.

That bodes well for next season. The Steelers could choose to add to the line if the opportunity presents itself. But given how the line has played this season, it’s not an absolute necessity.

• Now, if a good, young left tackle prospect is available with the Steelers’ top pick in next year’s draft, they likely wouldn’t turn their nose up. Current left tackle Dan Moore might just make an excellent guard with his outstanding prowess as a run blocker.

But if that doesn’t happen, there’s a good bet the Steelers’ top pick next year will be a cornerback.

And spare me the old argument that the Steelers don’t know how to draft cornerbacks. They’ve never been in a position to select one of the top two or three corners in a draft, which they could be this time around.

• Kris Letang is 35 years old. He just suffered his second stroke two weeks ago.

It doesn’t matter how “minor” – the Penguins’ words to describe the issue – was. It’s not normal for a 35-year-old to have suffered two strokes.

The issue for Letang is a small hole in his heart that is causing the strokes. Playing hockey isn’t considered to be a triggering factor.

But why take that chance?

This week’s picks

Ravens (plus 2½) at Steelers: The Ravens struggled mightily without their starting quarterback last season, going 1-4 when Lamar Jackson was sidelined, with the only win coming against the hapless Bears. The Steelers also have won four consecutive games against Baltimore. It will be a lot to ask for Pickett to go five-straight games without a turnover, but the bet here is that Tyler Huntley makes more mistakes. Take the Steelers, 17-13

Browns (plus 6) at Bengals: Deshaun Watson’s debut for the Browns wasn’t exactly inspiring last week as he failed to lead the team to an offensive touchdown. Life won’t get any easier this week against a much better Bengals team. Will the Bengals let down after beating the Chiefs last week? Not against their cross-state rivals, who have beaten them four consecutive times. Take the Bengals, 30-20

Kansas City (minus 9 ½) at Denver: Given the way the Broncos’ offense has performed this season, if the Chiefs get to 20 points, they’ll cover in this game. Kansas City has scored at least 20 points in every game this season except for an unlikely loss at Indianapolis. The Broncos have broken 20 points just twice this season. The Chiefs are just the better team. Take the Chiefs, 24-13

Texans (plus 17) at Cowboys: Typically, you don’t mess around with a double-digit spread in the NFL. But the Texans are an NFL team in name only. The Dallas defense should feast in this game. And the offense should rush for about 200 yards. Take the Cowboys, 34-10

Eagles (minus 7) at Giants: The Giants were doing a good job of muddying up games this season, hanging around and finding a way to win. But their only win in their past five games was a 24-16 win over the hapless Texans. The Eagles most certainly are not the Texans. They can run or throw, depending on the opponent. Take the Eagles, 27-16

Last Week: 4-1 ATS; 4-1 straight up.

Overall: 31-30-4 ATS; 41-24 straight up.