It wasn’t pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to get past a gritty Tampa Bay Buccaneers team in Week 6 with a 26-19 overtime victory. While the Steelers would have ideally liked to avoid going to overtime against an undermanned Bucs team, at the end of the day, a win is a win.
After undergoing a significant amount of change over the offseason, Pittsburgh is still figuring things out early in the new season. That leads to some rough performances from time to time, but if you ask former NFL MVP Rich Gannon, he is a firm believer in this team, even going as far as to suggest that it could wind up making a Super Bowl run.
Rich Gannon Issues Super Bowl Prediction for the Steelers
Pittsburgh spent much of its offseason convincing Aaron Rodgers to return for one more season, and it ended up being successful in its quest. When he finally decided to put off retiring, Rodgers returned to a team that had been built up in preparation for his return, as the offense was consolidated, and his former head coach, Mike McCarthy, was brought in to replace Mike Tomlin.
The results to this point, though, haven’t been all that encouraging. The offense is consistently struggling to get going, with Rodgers frequently looking frustrated by the unit’s lack of production. The defense is getting better, but it is going to need some help if the Steelers intend to achieve their primary goals this year.
Against a Tampa Bay team being led by undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, Pittsburgh certainly didn’t look like a finished product on Sunday, but it still managed to gut out a win. Gannon knows that things haven’t been perfect for the Steelers, but he trusts in Rodgers’ playoff experience, which he believes will play a big role in helping the team go on a Super Bowl run in a few months.
“I think the Pittsburgh Steelers could be the team to watch this season. I think they’ll go deep into the playoffs. They could even surprise us all and get to the Super Bowl,” Gannon surprisingly opined in an interview with casino.org. “Once you get to the postseason, that experience is so important, and Aaron Rodgers is the man that can bring that. That’s the team that I would keep an eye on in the AFC.”
Could the Steelers Actually Be a Super Bowl Contender?
Based on what we’ve seen so far, even the most optimistic Steelers fan would probably consider it somewhat far-fetched to suggest this team could be a Super Bowl contender. And yet, Gannon knows how the flow of the NFL season plays out. Sure, the Steelers may not be clicking right now, but if they can get on track by the time December and January roll around, they could quickly become very dangerous.
Right now, though, Pittsburgh’s focus is on Week 7, where an overseas matchup in France against the New Orleans Saints awaits. The Saints haven’t exactly been a powerhouse this year, but they have the ability to rack up points in bunches, so if the Steelers aren’t careful, they could be upset in this one. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 25.
Former NFL MVP Issues Eye-Opening Steelers Prediction After Narrow Week 6 Win