ESPN writer Bill Barnwell has compiled his list of NFL teams he thinks are most likely to decline this season compared to last. Barnwell’s list actually includes three of the four teams in the AFC North, which was a bit of a surprise to us.

In addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he also has the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on his list. Every team in the AFC North finished above .500 in 2023, and all three of those teams made the playoffs last season, with the Cincinnati Bengals being the only team to miss the cut.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about the Steelers taking a step back from their 10-7 record in 2023.

The resume is the resume. If you ignore the aura of Mike Tomlin, there is no more obvious choice for a team whose record doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The Steelers will have an extremely difficult time winning 10 games again if they play the way they did in 2023. There is simply no track record for a team that can do that year after year without at some point either dramatically improving their underlying performance or seeing their record fall back down to earth.

There’s no denying that the Steelers are an anomaly, and as much as we all want to believe that head coach Mike Tomlin will somehow work his magic and wrestle his way to a win, this schedule tells a different story.