Mark Madden: Path to playoffs doesn't look as daunting for improving Steelers

The Steelers are 4-3 going on 6-3.

If they don’t beat Chicago and Detroit to get to 6-3, this next question answers itself. The Bears and Lions both stink.

But are the Steelers any good?

You can answer that via a couple of other questions.

One is, is the NFL any good? How many great teams are there in the entire league? There’s no obvious pick to win the AFC. (Maybe Buffalo. But the Steelers defeated the Bills.)

A second question is, how good is the Steelers’ division? The AFC North has all good teams, but nothing close to a juggernaut.

If the Steelers get to 6-3, they will have to collapse down the stretch to miss the playoffs. (Even 8-9 might make it.) But they have collapsed down the stretch in each of the last three seasons. Don’t think that won’t cross their minds when the season’s second half beckons.

Several breaks loom: Tennessee mega-back Derrick Henry might be out for the season after foot surgery. The Steelers host the Titans on Dec. 19.

The trip to Kansas City on Dec. 26 looked like a sure loss. But the Chiefs, quite unexpectedly, aren’t very good. (Trading edge rusher Melvin Ingram to Kansas City was odd. What if Ingram gets a sack that beats the Steelers and costs them a playoff berth?)

Cincinnati just lost to the New York Jets. The Los Angeles Chargers just lost to New England. The Steelers’ schedule keeps getting tougher. But their opponents keep playing worse.

And the Steelers keep getting better.

The offensive line keeps improving, particularly center Kendrick Green, left guard Kevin Dotson and left tackle Dan Moore Jr. There’s finally some push on run blocking. (Right tackle Chuks Okorafor is lousy, though. What does it say about Zach Banner that he can’t even get a helmet?)

Najee Harris’ stats aren’t great. But the rookie back runs tough, which merits and has produced legit commitment to the running game.

Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry have legitimized the tight end position. The latter actually blocks some. Eric Ebron is surplus to requirements.

The receiving corps has streamlined in the absence of JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has played decent the last three games. No interceptions, he hits the occasional deep ball, and he looks the part. Roethlisberger is never again going to be the old Ben. But this Ben might sneak the Steelers into the postseason.

The defense is about defensive end Cameron Heyward and edge rusher T.J. Watt having monster seasons. If everybody else on defense is OK, maybe that’s all they need to be. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been part of just one takeaway this season. Perhaps his ripple effect is all he provides.

The coaching must be better. The fake field-goal decision at Cleveland is no less dumbfounding now than when it got written about in this space a few days back. That call could have easily lost that game. The Steelers’ hopes are too tenuous for that to happen. (Mike Tomlin has long since hit his expiration date with the Steelers. But he won’t ever get fired, and that’s that.)

The Steelers are pretty much the team they were supposed to be before the season started. They have managed OK despite big roster changes.

But much around the Steelers hasn’t taken the direction expected. That’s good for them.