Some Steelers fans may be struggling to make sense of what they just watched against the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys. A 24-19 escape in a game that should’ve been a breeze.

Hey, these are covid times. Nothing really makes sense. Even the Steelers’ 8-0 start.

Think about all of those great teams in the 1970s. Ten playoff squads under Bill Cowher. Eight under Mike Tomlin. And this edition is the first one ever to win its first eight games?

The one with a surgically repaired, 38-year-old quarterback. A reconfigured offensive line. No skill position superstars. A defense getting stung by the injury bug.

This is the Steelers team that has gone longer than any other in franchise history without suffering a loss? Hmm.

The one that sweated out contests against the Broncos, Texans, Eagles and Cowboys. Those opponents are a combined 10-22-1.

When you see Mike Tomlin’s club hit on all cylinders and dust a capable Cleveland Browns team 38-7, you get a brief glimpse of why the talent matches the record. When you see those players gut out a comeback in Baltimore or fend off a late charge in Tennessee, you can believe the character matches the skill.

Those opponents are a combined 17-4 against the rest of the NFL.

You can’t call the Dallas game an anomaly. Some Steelers fans tried to make that argument Sunday.

After all, the organization had some covid-19-adjusted protocols this week because of the exposure from the Ravens the week before. They couldn’t really incorporate new linebacker Avery Williamson into the defense. It was their third straight road game.

Plus look at the rest of the league.

“Hey, Tampa Bay was playing great. They got blown out by New Orleans. The Carolina Panthers nearly upset the 8-1 Kansas City Chiefs. The Seahawks are good. But they were outclassed by Buffalo. It was just a strange week.”

Yeah. Except, for the Steelers, it wasn’t strange at all. Playing one half of winning football and one half of terrible football is the norm for this club.

The exception is a consistent, complete football game. Ask the Browns.

Therefore the “It was just a fluke” argument doesn’t hold water. Regardless of fluctuating competition. Regardless of funky covid-19 schedules. Regardless of injuries and roster adjustments. Those things have been part of the Steelers season all year.

Some have tried the “Well, it was a wake-up call” explanation. The Steelers started feeling their oats after three straight good wins. They started reading their own headlines and nearly tripped against a bad team.

Maybe. We’ve seen that act from Tomlin-coached teams in the past. Often.

In 2018. In 2014. In 2009. Just off the top of my head.

But this trait of 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off was evident in their wins at Baltimore and Tennessee, too.

Personally, I think Dallas was a reality check more than anything. Maybe it is smarter for the fans and media to stop examining what was different about this game and, instead, try to figure why it was similar.

I know that’s what the coaches should be doing.

Deep-ball proficiency has been an issue on offense. So, too, has running the ball consistently. The defense’s splash-play and clutch-play moments outweigh chunk touchdowns, extended drives and increasing run-game concerns. But not by as much as they had through the blowout of Cleveland.

Now, stir in some special teams concerns that hadn’t been obvious prior to that unit’s meltdown in Dallas.

This is who the Steelers are. They didn’t need a “scared straight” moment from Garrett “Duck” Gilbert to acknowledge their shortcomings. Aside from the special teams stumble, those deficiencies have consistently existed throughout 2020.

But to the tune of 8-0.

Those blemishes were there when the club was winding its way through the underbelly of its schedule to 4-0. They were there through two quarters in Nashville and two quarters in Baltimore.

What the Dallas game did, in my view, was clarify that those problems weren’t “cured” by blowing out the Browns. They weren’t in remission against the Titans and Ravens. The Steelers just played well enough in their good spurts of those games to avoid them from becoming deadly.

And when they played as badly as they did, even against a lesser team like Dallas, they were nearly fatal.

That remains true next week against another bad team in Cincinnati. And an even worse team the week after in Jacksonville. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out how the Steelers have managed to avoid losing so far. You’ll make yourself really insane trying to pinpoint when they’ll suffer their first loss.

That win over Dallas should be considered as real — or as phony — as you had previously presumed their 7-0 record to be at 4:24 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

My advice would be to just enjoy this Steelers win streak for what it is: Pretty much the only good thing that’s happened in 2020. And don’t go looking too deep as to when or how it’s going to end.

Because those answers may come more quickly than you want.

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