Mark Madden: Sure, the Steelers are undefeated but skepticism is warranted

The Steelers are 11-0.

It’s a weak 11-0.

That sounds (is) absurd. But the Steelers have three wins of much note. Beating Daniel Jones, Jeff Driskel, Carson Wentz, Garrett Gilbert, Jake Luton and Robert Griffin III doesn’t add up to a championship-level resume. Those victories against rotten quarterbacks duly noted, the Steelers also beat a bad coach (Bill O’Brien) and perennially lousy Cincinnati.

Heck, defeating Baker Mayfield isn’t all that dazzling. But Cleveland is somehow 8-3.

Skeptics unimpressed by the Steelers got a lot of ammunition Wednesday when the Steelers barely got by Baltimore’s JV. For an easy game, it was really difficult.

The Steelers never looked like they would lose, but consider three big plays: Joe Haden’s pick-6, Minkah Fitzpatrick’s break-up to deny Baltimore a go-ahead touchdown at the end of the first half, and James Washington’s third-down catch in traffic that let the Steelers keep the ball late.

Eliminate any of those, and the Steelers could very easily have lost to a Ravens team that only dressed 36 players, with eight of them making their NFL debut.

How would that performance fare against Kansas City?

It’s not too soon to wonder. After starting 11-0, anything less than making the AFC championship game would be disastrous. Not winning a playoff game makes the season a total bust. That applies even (and especially) if the Steelers go 16-0.

Rescheduling Thursday’s game three times distracted and disrupted. That doesn’t matter. The Ravens were crippled and easy to look past. That doesn’t matter, either.

Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger know that. Each was angry after Thursday’s win. (Roethlisberger also was mad at the NFL for making the Steelers play a “doubleheader.”)

Problems keep piling up. Outside linebacker Bud Dupree is out for the season with a torn ACL. The Steelers defense is built on speed and aggression. Dupree brought plenty of both, as did inside ’backer Devin Bush, also done till ’21.

Fitzpatrick’s speed, savvy and excellence in the middle of the field have helped cover Bush’s absence. Robert Spillane has filled Bush’s spot and done fine. Rookie Alex Highsmith will replace Dupree. Highsmith has looked OK in limited duty, but giving a rookie more snaps can be a slippery slope. That said, it’s a simple job. Ola Adeniyi will figure in, too.

The receivers dropped between 5-10 balls Thursday, depending on your definition. That’s hopefully temporary, because those don’t look good on TikTok.

It’s trouble if the receivers don’t get more sure-handed because the Steelers offense relies almost exclusively on passing. The running game is feeble and on life support. Roethlisberger seems determined to pull the plug, or maybe smother it with a pillow.

In five of the Steelers’ last six games, Roethlisberger has thrown 42 times or more. He was 36 for 51 for 266 yards Wednesday. That’s a good day if half the drops get caught.

In those six games, the Steelers have attempted to pass on 68% of their offensive plays. That’s akin to 2018, when they did so on 70% of their snaps.

That didn’t work in ’18: The Steelers went 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs. It’s working this year against foes such as Luton and Griffin.

Will it work in the postseason? Would it work against Patrick Mahomes?

Not if there are 5-10 drops, it won’t. Wednesday’s mess included three red-zone drops. That’s suicide against a decent foe.

It’s popular to say the short pass can replace the run. In many respects, that’s true. The Steelers prove that by ranking second in the NFL for time of possession.

But you need to convert a few short-yardage downs on the ground, especially near the goal line, where the passing game has less room to work with.

On Wednesday, the Steelers had six plays where it was third or fourth down with 2 yards or fewer needed. The Steelers passed five times, converting once. The Steelers made the sticks on their only try running the ball.

Whatever works, works. But passing in short-yardage situations doesn’t.