The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and on top of the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens look like a dominant team, but for now, the Steelers are better than them. The AFC has several other strong teams, too. If the Steelers ultimately do make the playoffs, they could face a tough team. The Houston Texans are young but also on top of their division. Analyst Rich Eisen believes they would beat the Steelers if the two teams played right now.

“Number eight, one spot up, I’m putting the Russell Wilson Steelers right here,” Eisen said recently on his show when revealing his power rankings. “They beat the Jets; they beat the Giants. [Wilson] is smelting. The running game’s going, T.J. Watt’s going, the special teams are going.

“All three phases are going. 6-2, they lead the AFC North. I still think if the Houston Texans play them, the Texans beat them, which is why I’m putting the Texans right here at seven.”

That’s not an unfair thing to say. The Texans have been a great team this year. They are 6-2, but their two losses weren’t awful. They got crushed by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, but the Vikings were rolling at that point. They also lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, but the game came down to the wire.

The Texans also beat the tar out of the Steelers last year. In Week 4 of 2023, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud dominated the Steelers, beating them 30-6. The Texans have only improved their team since then, so it isn’t a stretch to say they could do it again.

However, the Steelers have also upgraded their team this year. Their offense looks much better, especially with Wilson at quarterback. They aren’t the same team the Texans beat last year. The Steelers have been playing great recently, too, so it’s possible that they could avenge their loss from last year.

The Texans are also dealing with some huge injuries. They just lost star receiver Stefon Diggs for the year, and Nico Collins, their standout receiver last year, is on injured reserve at the moment. The Texans are deep at receiver, but replacing both those players is almost impossible.

Therefore, if the two teams played today, it wouldn’t be crazy to say the Steelers have the advantage. The Texans have a young, hotshot quarterback and a stout defense, but they might not have the playmakers to beat the Steelers.

This is all hypothetical, though. The only way the Steelers will play the Texans this year will be if they meet in the playoffs. That’s still a few months away, so if that does happen, it’s likely both teams will look slightly different. The Texans could have Collins back, or they could be suffering from more injuries. The same could be said for the Steelers. It would make for an interesting postseason matchup, though.

PITTSBURGH — Danny Smith has seen it all. The Pittsburgh-born Smith attended and coached at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School when Dan Marino was there. But the 2024 Steelers’ special teams may be even more impressive. Smith, the Steelers’ special teams coordinator, arrived at the Steelers in 2013 and has coached one of the best special teams units in the league since.

The Steelers have blocked a league-leading 13.33% of opposing teams’ field goal attempts this season. If that unbelievable rate holds for the rest of the season it would be the highest percentage of field goal attempts blocked by far with data dating back to 2003. But this isn’t anything new for Smith and his unit — the Steelers also led the league in 2018 with 7.69% and were second in the league in 2022 at 5.88%.

It’s a symbiotic relationship between Smith and his unit. When Steelers’ reliable place kicker Chris Boswell knocks in a routine 50-plus-yard kick, Smith gets so pumped up he’s sore the next day. When Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick blocks an extra point and gets wrongfully flagged for leverage, Smith blows up at the officials for blowing the call. And when the Steelers use each other to form a wall and block a game-altering field goal, Smith is in the middle of his guys celebrating with them.

“They beat the h*** out of me. I’m sore and I didn’t even play,” Smith said after the Steelers primetime win over the New York Giants. “I’m probably gonna be the first coach on the sideline in shoulder pads and a helmet.”

Smith’s special teams make big plays so often they’ve become almost unsurprising. After wide receiver Calvin Austin III returned a 73-yard punt for a touchdown against the Giants, Smith is seen pacing and chewing the most possible gum he could fit in his mouth.

Boswell has only missed once this year — a 62-yard attempt as the first half expired against the Chargers. Boswell arrived in Pittsburgh in 2015 and has been almost flawless since. The veteran kicker has the fifth-highest field goal percentage of all time at 87.889%. Of course, Smith was on the sideline for every one of those seasons.

The Steelers brought in a new punter this season in veteran Cameron Johnston. Tragically, Johnston suffered a leg injury in the Steelers’ season-opener against the Falcons. Johnston’s two punts against the Falcons were impressive and gave fans hope that the position would be more solid this season, but the situation became uncertain. Replacing Johnston was Corliss Waitman. The mid-season acquisition has been a slam dunk for the Steelers with Waitman averaging 46.8 yards per punt.

The Steelers win in unconvential ways. Other teams routinely win in shootouts — offensive showcases that aim to light the scoreboard up. But the Steelers have invested in their defense and special teams. While it’s often boiled down to, ‘the Steeler way’, the Steelers and Smith are proving the method works. If The Steelers’ special teams can continue producing big plays week after week, the black and gold are poised for a special run.

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