There’s no time for Pittsburgh to enjoy another hard fought win against Baltimore this week. They have to bury the dead crow in the backyard before the kids see it and forget it is there. There’s another challenge coming in fast, and all of the intangibles are stacked against them.

It’s hard enough for the Steelers to win a game after playing the Ravens, considering the emotional and physical toll those games extract on the players. Couple that with a Thursday night game on the road and the difficulty level increases significantly. This could also be a weather game as well, with bitter cold temps, a chance of snow, and more importantly for a team that relies on the leg of the Wizard Of Boz, winds gusts in the 30-40 mph range.

Division games means the records do not matter. Cleveland has struggled mightily this season, but they have also defeated Baltimore. How is that possible? AFC North football is weird. If I had one rule to adhere to for betting my hard earned money, it would be to stay away from any division matchup with this group of teams.

Past versions of the Steelers including when Big Ben was in his prime would be to drop a game on the road against a struggling team. When you factor in all of the above…just played the Ravens, short week, on the road at night, cold and high wind game…I would not be surprised if the Steelers fail to escape with a win. I say this as a precaution to not overreact if they come away from the trip to Ohio with their third loss of the season. It will not be an accurate reflection of the team’s progress or talent.

However, if the Steelers do find some strength in weary non-rested legs and grind out what will surely be another hard fought and physical game, it would be a great big Vegas style flashing neon sign that this team has grown into true contending form. A win this week would be their most impressive of the season in my opinion, considering the situation.

How might they do that? With the wind gusts and the cold, long field goals will be risky at best. Going for it on fourth and short situations might be the order of the day, and that should mean more Justin Fields packages. The same goes for possessions inside the ten yard line, where Justin’s ability to run should be an advantage to convert those opportunities into touchdowns. On the defensive side, it’s going to be another heavy personnel requirement to stop Nick Chubb first and foremost. Whichever team can stop the run will be on the right side of the win column on Thursday night.

So, remember to take all those considerations into account as you watch Thursday night. Perhaps you have the same routine that I do, where I watch the first half on the couch, scramble like mad to get ready for bed at halftime and live in fear of overtime as my eyes close to slits for the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

It won’t be the end of the world if the Steelers drop this game, so don’t let it ruin your night. It’s a lot to ask of any team to win a Thursday night road game, and doubly so after playing the biggest and most physical rival they have just a few days ago. However, if they win, it could signify this Steelers team that is on track to be something special. I hope that’s the case, almost as much as I hope it doesn’t go to overtime.