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It was a dreary afternoon when the Patriots slaughtered the Steelers 55-31 in a Week 9 game that sent the Steelers to 2-6 in the 2013 season. The Patriots racked up 611 yards of offense in that game, the biggest single-game total against Pittsburgh in franchise history.
Things looked bleak.
From then to now, the Steelers have played 16 games, the equivalent of one full NFL season. Since that game, the Steelers are 11-5 and they capped it off with a slaughter of their own.
The 51-34 thrashing of the Indianapolis Colts Sunday signifies not just a 5-3 mark on the season and within striking distance of the lead in the best division in the NFL, but speaks of a complete, 180-degree turn from where this team was last year. The Colts had their big plays and the Steelers had their errors, but the same team planted firmly at the bottom of the AFC only one year ago has risen back into contention, topped off by their own signature win.
The Steelers face division-rival Baltimore in Week 9, and expecting a similar, record-breaking performance from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in that matchup is probably a bit much. But the Steelers should certainly feel confident in their ability to compete with their adversary. But the same couldn't have been said at this time last year.
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