Steelers are the Chiefs' biggest competition in the AFC

Throughout the NFL offseason, Steelers general manager Omar Khan made a number of moves in an effort to reshape a roster that was constantly in the mix for a playoff spot but couldn't get over the hump in recent years. His most notable personnel changes came in the quarterback room, where Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky were replaced by Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Kyle Allen. Beyond that, Khan also added Cordarrelle Patterson as a running back/wide receiver/kick returner hybrid, a number of offensive linemen, Patrick Queen at linebacker, Donte Jackson at cornerback and DeShon Elliot at safety, among others.

That infusion of talent has boosted an always-good-but-never-great squad to the forefront of the AFC race, as the 7-2 Steelers lead the AFC North and are just two games behind the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot in the conference. Kansas City has ruled the AFC ever since Patrick Mahomes became the starting signal caller, appearing in six consecutive AFC Championship games and winning three Super Bowls. They've hardly been dominant this year, and yet their record remains unblemished thanks to a combination of Mahomes, an elite defense and probably a bit of magic of the soul-selling variety.



IT'S BLOCKED! @CHIEFS WIN! STILL UNDEFEATED! pic.twitter.com/hMLhAgbRpf Right now, the Steelers and Chiefs are neck and neck in terms of production.

Pittsburgh's offense is producing 23.9 points per game compared to Kansas City's 24.3 , and both defenses are in the top five in points allowed .

From the eye test, the teams are practically evenly matched, though Mahomes has yet to really wake up this season. If he finds his footing with a new-look offense that has watched just about every player not named Mahomes or Kelce go down with injury, the Chiefs will remain the class of the conference. Besides the Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens (7-3), Buffalo Bills (8-2) and Houston Texans (6-4) loom large as potential threats to the Chiefs.

However, each are flawed in fatal ways that Pittsburgh is not. The Ravens have the best offense in football (league-leading 440.2 yards per game and 31.

8 points per game), but their secondary is hemorrhaging yards at a league-worst clip ( 294.9 passing yards allowed per game ). Mahomes would have no problem eviscerating that unit in the playoffs.

The Bills look the part of a dynasty killer, but their middle-of-the-road run defense ( 123.2 rushing yards allowed per game ) and Josh Allen's ugly red zone completion percentage could keep them from toppling K.C.

Likewise, the Texans came into the year with a lot of hype , though a sophomore slump from C.J. Stroud and a bout with the injury bug make it seem like they're still a year away.

The Steelers, on the other hand, are well-rounded. They have a dominant defense that can create turnovers and keep opposing offenses off script, and their two-headed rushing attack is good enough to carry an offense piloted by a Super Bowl champion in Wilson. Plus, having Mike Tomlin at head coach doesn't hurt matters.

He and Andy Reid are the only active head coaches with more than 185 regular season wins under their belt. Put it all together, and you have a team that, despite being put together on the fly, might be good enough to overcome Mahomes and the Chiefs..