Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North despite playing some pretty ugly football in the last month of the season. Despite winning the division crown, the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns also made the playoffs with the Cincinnati Bengals finishing fourth with a 4-11 record.
But according to NFL Network analyst Adam Schein, The Bengals are going to finish with a better record than the Steelers in 2021. Here’s what Shein had to say about his bold prediction:
The Steelers still have a Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, but he’s not Benjamin Button. Now 39 years old, Big Ben clearly hit a wall down the stretch last year. So did Pittsburgh. From 11-0 to first-round playoff exit. And I don’t see the trend reversing for the better in 2021. While first-round pick Najee Harris is a stud runner, the offensive line remains problematic. The defense lost Bud Dupree (who’d become a fabulous edge-rushing complement to T.J. Watt) and Mike Hilton (the stud slot corner who just so happened to relocate to Cincy). And it sure doesn’t help that the aging Steelers drew the NFL’s toughest strength of schedule.
Given that the Browns and Ravens are both at least as good as they were last season, if the Bengals are going to finish ahead of the Steelers, the implication would be Pittsburgh finishes fourth in the AFC North this season.
That is a terrifying prospect for the Steelers final season with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. What do you all think of Shein’s prediction? Let us know in the comments below.