The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only AFC North team to win in Week 1, but some people still don’t believe they’re a very good team. FS1’s Colin Cowherd is one of them. Cowherd has publicly stated that he dislikes the Steelers’ makeup, and after their Week 1 win, he said he was even more frustrated that they were able to play that kind of football and win.
“I don’t think this is sustainable,” Cowherd said Monday. On his radio show The Herd. “I think the schedule is going to be really tough in the next few weeks with the Chargers, Colts and Cowboys. We knew they had a soft launch in Atlanta and Denver. We said it was really advantageous for them, but I think Aaron Rodgers and Dak [Prescott]We’re going to have a really great quarterback.
“It was loud, it was physical, it was tough. It’s kind of the way the Steelers win, but I don’t know if I can wake up this morning and say, ‘This is the future of the NFL.'”
It’s true that the Steelers didn’t have much flash or flare in their victory, but they won. They went to Atlanta and played a Falcons team that had a lot of freshmen and played a more physical game. The Steelers aren’t trying to be the Kansas City Chiefs with amazing passes and out-of-the-box play-calling. They’re trying to control the clock, stifle the opposing offense, and force turnovers.
Cowherd doesn’t seem to like that game plan, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be. As long as it keeps winning, the Steelers won’t change. Yes, Kirk Cousins is recovering from a serious injury and hasn’t been his original self. But the rest of the Falcons’ offense is healthy, and the Steelers’ defense has been crushing them.
Cowherd continued to explain his dislike for the Steelers and said the win didn’t change his opinion of them at all.
“I think this is an eight-win team. Maybe a nine-win team. It just shows what kind of team they are,” he said.
The Steelers’ offense looked like it could only win 8 or 9 games, but the defense looked like it could match up with anyone. TJ Watt looked like the best defender in the league, and the rest of the unit looked elite. Other teams may have better quarterbacks, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a win.
The Steelers will face a bigger test this season, and if they win one of those games, it will be interesting to see if Cowherd changes his tune. If their offense can finish a little better, they can stay competitive. Cowherd also didn’t have much faith that the Steelers would beat the Falcons, and they did it well. We’ll see how they do against guys like Rodgers and Prescott.
