Mark Madden: Steelers lacked scoring but showed plenty of good, so what's their ceiling?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-4. They’ll be 9-4 after beating pushovers in their next two games. After that, their schedule gets harder but not a lot.

It’s easy to imagine the Steelers finishing, say, 11-6 and getting the No. 1 wild card in the AFC. Heck, the Steelers could win the AFC North title when they visit Baltimore in the season’s final week.

Yet I’ve got no faith in the Steelers whatsoever. I’ve also got no faith in the NFL whatsoever.

No matter what the league’s broadcast partners (aka shills) and those independently hypnotized tell you, the NFL stinks.

There are maybe three truly good teams, perhaps not even that many. There are fewer than 10 legit quarterbacks, and no, Kenny Pickett isn’t one. Parity might have given way to parody.

The Steelers might win a playoff game for the first time in seven years because somebody has to.

But the Steelers’ 7-4 record (9-8, 11-6, whatever it winds up) lies just as surely as their 11-0 start did in 2020.

Regarding Sunday’s 16-10 bore-gasm of a victory at Cincinnati, just-fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada was made to look like a schmuck in absentia as the Steelers compiled more than400 yards in total offense. The Steelers never did that under Canada.

The Steelers also scored just 16 points. That was familiar turf in the Canada era.

It’s not easy to score just 16 points while gaining 421 yards and possessing the ball for more than 37 minutes. But going 1 for 4 in the red zone because you laid up and settled for field goals is certainly a proven black-and-gold formula.

An important moment in the score going under came when Diontae Johnson dropped a touchdown. Except he didn’t. He got “three feet down.” (Not sure what that means, but it sounds definite. Even a bit sexy.) Replay showed it was a good catch. Ex-NFL ref Gene Steratore said so on TV between selling janitorial supplies in Washington, Pa.

But Mike Tomlin didn’t toss the challenge flag. He likely was terrified by the prospect of winning one.

Jaylen Warren fumbled the ball away on the next play while Johnson stood idly by. Johnson said he was “blocking or whatever.” More whatever than blocking. Cue “Yakety Sax.”

The multipronged faux pas kept Pickett stuck on six touchdown passes for the season. He trails the NFL leader, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, by 18. (The Bills are 6-6. They are not currently in a playoff position. The Steelers are. Advantage, Pickett.)

There was a lot of good. Just not many points.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth caught nine passes for 120 yards as the Steelers explored the revolutionary concept of using the middle of the field.

Running back Najee Harris had 99 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Harris is better than the citizens think. Splitting carries between him and Warren should continue. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But the run game’s revival coincides with inserting Broderick Jones at right tackle. Except that isn’t coincidence.

George Pickens recovered Cincinnati’s onside kick at game’s death. So at least he got to touch the ball.

Chris Boswell is death and taxes.

Pickett was better, even good. His play in the pocket improved. It’s tough to go any further than that. He’s thrown 208 times without an interception. But isn’t the good in that offset by just six touchdown passes in 11 games?

The play-calling had rhythm, flow and context. That’s an inexact thing to say. But I know Canada’s didn’t.

Joey Porter Jr. did a solid job covering Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase had just four catches, two off tipped balls. Chase made one 25-yard catch with Porter in tight coverage. But that reflects good on Chase, not bad on Porter.

The Steelers are a bad 7-4. But the NFL is bad.

What’s the Steelers’ ceiling? It likely mirrors the quarterback’s ceiling. That’s where I have my doubts.

Is their ceiling a certain record, like 12-5 or 11-6? Or is it beating a good team in a playoff game? That’s also where I have my doubts.