The Pittsburgh Steelers stand at 6-2, atop of the AFC North, and face one of the toughest slates of scheduling in the NFL. After a bye week filled with players beginning to get healthy, players coming off of suspension, and a looming trade deadline, the Steelers turn their focus to the Washington Commanders.
Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers sit with an impressive 13-4 record after a bye week. Currently, the Steelers have won seven straight games after a bye week dating back to 2017. Their last loss coming off a bye came in 2016 in Baltimore.
That game featured Ben Roethlisberger returning from a knee injury suffered against the Miami Dolphins in a loss. It was the third of a four game-losing streak before reeling off nine straight wins en route to an AFC Championship appearance.
Since 2017, the Steelers have averaged a margin of victory of 8.9 points in their victories. One aspect that is interesting is the fact that the Steelers have closer margins on the road. On the road, the Steelers average a margin of victory of 5 points over three games. For comparison, the Steelers average a margin of victory of 11.75 points over four games.
The Steelers will be on the road in Washington and currently sit as a 2.5-point underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. It would be fitting of the Steelers to squeak out a win on the road as they have in the current win streak.
The red-hot Commanders team is just the beginning of a brutal stretch to conclude the regular season. After the Week 9 game in D.C., the Steelers will play all six of their divisional games, travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles, and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
A 7-2 start would feel like a monumental win as Pittsburgh looks to keep pace above the rest of their division in pursuit of their first division title in four years.