The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a dogfight as the end the 2023 season approaches. They are competing in a cutthroat AFC North for playoff positioning, including a potential #1 seed. The Steelers have the best divisional record so far, as they enter Week 13 with a 3-1 record in the division. Despite that, they are currently second in the division, with the Baltimore Ravens currently claiming the division lead and the top seed in the conference. That doesn't mean a retired corner doesn't believe that the division is Pittsburgh's to win or lose.
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Steelers CB Joe Haden picks off Tom Brady in the team's win over the Patriots
While making a guest appearance on Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams, Joe Haden talked a lot about AFC North football, and even made his prediction on the eventual division champion, even though he had to go against his heart.
"With my heart, [the AFC North champion] would be the Browns. With my brain, it'll be the Steelers because of Coach [Mike] Tomlin. I can't root against them. I can't go against them. He's my favorite coach I've ever had in my life. His coaching style is amazing, but I think both of them are going to make the playoffs, honestly."
As a long-time fan favorite for the Cleveland Browns, it might have hurt Haden a bit to go against them, but he still went with the other team he played for. Both teams are currently in a wild card spot but looking for more. The two franchises are in very different situations, however, while trending in opposite directions.
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Steelers Alex Highsmith drags down Browns' Deshaun Watson in Week 2 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers And Browns Trajectories
The Steelers are looking to continue to grow and develop after finally canning Matt Canada. Despite not scoring many points, the Steelers had their best offensive game in years, and a favorable schedule would give the Steelers plenty of chances to show that they can produce on offense consistently, as well as developing properly as the weeks go on.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are scrambling for any sort of offense. Deshaun Watson had season-ending shoulder surgery, then Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion. They are so thin at quarterback that they are giving Joe Flacco the starting role, even though he's only been on the team for a week.
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Former New York Jets quarterback, Joe Flacco (#19) walks off the field after a regular season matchup against the Dolphins in Miami, FL.
Haden also mentioned that Tomlin was his favorite coach ever. Tomlin has always come off as a player-friendly coach, so it makes sense as to why Haden is all aboard the Tomlin train. It also makes sense when you look at the history of coaches that Haden has played under, and not just in the NFL either. It's not hard to see that Tomlin is undisputedly the greatest coach that Haden has ever played for.
Since he was on the Browns for so long, Haden never had a consistent or quality coaching staff to help the team. The coaching carousel went round and round until he was released and signed with the Steelers. Even before that, he played under Urban Meyer on the dominant, but chaotic, Florida Gators teams that resulted in a documentary being released.
Even with all of that, the Steelers still have to dethrone the Ravens to take the AFC North, and that is no easy task. Entering Baltimore's bye week, they have a 1.5 game lead over the Steelers in the division, as well as a half-game lead over the Kansas City Chiefs for first place in the conference. The Ravens are obviously the third team that Haden believes will make the playoffs, but the Steelers will have to be almost perfect if they want to at least set up a winner-takes-all matchup against the Ravens in Week 18.
What do you think about Joe Haden's comments on the state of the AFC North, as well as his coaching history making Mike Tomlin an easy choice for favorite coach? Let us know in the comments.
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