AFC North Stock Report: Week 4

As is the Steelers’ stock report.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1): Stock (Slightly) Up

By far the hardest team to judge right now.  The Steelers have had by far the craziest year, even when considering the Browns relentless penchant for nail biting games.  The Steelers started the year by nearly giving away their opening game at home against the Browns.  They built an 27-3 first half lead only to nearly lose the game.  Then the Steelers went to Baltimore only to get demolished 26-6; a game they were never really in.  In Week three, they traveled to Carolina and pulled out a convincing win on the road 37-19.  So who exactly are the Steelers?  Inconsistent scoring and defense leaves numerous question marks. The Steelers suffered three injuries this week.

Ike Taylor will be out for awhile with a broken forearm, but has said he’ll be back this season.  Linebacker Jarvis Jones had to be put on I.R. (with the return tag) and will miss a minimum of eight weeks due to a wrist injury. Ryan Shazier’s MCL sprain is a big deal.  He’s a player who relies on his great speed, so he could be out for a few weeks at the least.  In response to the linebacker injuries, the Steelers have signed former linebacker James Harrison.  It will be an awesome reunion to watch.  The Bengals will need to be ready down the line. But the Steelers still possess a dangerous running game–maybe the best in the league–and Ben Roethlisberger can still make amazing plays at the toughest of moments; they still possess Antonio Brown who is the one of the best receivers in the league yet no one seems to know it. It will be interesting to see how this team responds to such adversity against its defense.  With winnable games the next three weeks following a big road win, the Steelers stock has to be slightly up.

Week Four Schedule: vs. Tampa Bay