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By James Brizuela
Contributing Writer
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Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 4-1, though the team has not been receiving that much press. It could be because they are mostly healthy, but there is another reason entirely. They might still not be viewed as contenders.
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The Steelers dominated the lowly Cleveland Browns with a final score of 23-9, leading to their third straight win. The other two recent wins were against the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots.
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The Vikings are without their starting quarterback and remain a question. However, the Patriots are considered to be the only actual playoff hopeful that the Steelers have beaten thus far this season.
The combined record of the opponents the Steelers have faced is 12-17. The Jets are 0-6, Seahawks 4-2, Patriots 4-2, Vikings 3-2, and Browns 1-5. Seattle also took down Rodgers and company.
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Considering the Steelers have defeated teams that mostly have losing records, it is why one NFL analyst is not buying into the hype just yet. Ted Nguyen of The Athletic is not convinced Rodgers and company are trending to be a top AFC team just yet.
"I don’t think this win tells me too much about Rodgers or the Steelers. The Browns have essentially signaled that they’re punting this season, going to a youth movement ... We should be able to tell a lot more about what kind of team the Steelers are when they play the Packers in two weeks, but credit to them for taking care of business. Rodgers gives them more competency than they’ve had under center in a long time," Nguyen said.
Nguyen does have a point. Beating up on a nearly winless Browns team does not spark much confidence. Of the above teams listed, the Patriots and Vikings are the only two teams that have winning records.
Maybe that is the right course of action, though. Rodgers and the Steelers can quietly start stacking wins before the rest of the AFC notices them, then it will be too late.
The Cincinnati Bengals are next, followed by the Packers and the Indianapolis Colts. If the Steelers can take down all three, or at least split the Packers and Colts games, they might be well on their way to being taken seriously in the AFC.
For more on the Steelers, head to Newsweek Sports.
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