It's crazy to think that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in playoff contention in the first season since Ben Roethlisberger retired and left a huge question mark at quarterback.

That had to mean that the team was headed for a rebuilding year as they figured out if they had a quarterback to build around or not. That's what many around the NFL thought, at least.

A 2-6 start to the season seemed to confirm it.

While fans and media assumed and speculated the Steelers wouldn't be playing relevant football in December, the team's message remained simple. It was all about getting the next win. And the next one.

It started with a 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints after the bye week.

"Feels good to be up here after a win," Steelers rookie quarterback told reporters about his first win with a full snap count.

The Steelers dropped one the week after but it was in a dramatic and competitive 37-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. That was followed by back-to-back road victories in Indianapolis and Atlanta.

"Trying to find that rhythm and do what good teams do which is stack winning performances on top of winning performances," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following the win over the Falcons. "That’s the first time we’ve done it this year."

It didn't look like much at the time. But the benefit of hindsight offers an impressive fact.

Since the bye week, the Steelers are 6-2. They are running the football well, they've got a quarterback coming through in the clutch, and they keep figuring out things on defense as every week we get to see signs of improvement.

How do you follow a 2-6 run with a 6-2 streak? That's a huge difference.

Well, Mike Tomlin describes it perfectly.

When asked about using different personnel packages and succeeding with strategic game planning and what did he like most about coaching beyond winning, the Steelers head coach had a perfect response that shows what he's all about.

"I love it. I just think at the early portions of the season, man, this game could be described as checkers; at the latter portions of the season, it’s chess. And guys like me get a chance to earn our keep."

Boom.

Listen, I know Mike Tomlin is all about coach speak. And sometimes, his answers are robotic. At times it even feels like he's trying to say as little as possible by saying as much as possible before leaving a room full of confused reporters trying to decipher whatever cliché he threw their way. Tomlin could be a very wealthy PR man.

But as cheesy as some of his thoughts and statements sound, the guy backs it up every single year.

He says don't blink and he really doesn't. He says he cares about complementary, mistake-free football and his team wins with exactly that. The Steelers buy into everything that he sells them.

And even now – less than one year removed from Big Ben's retirement – he has a chance to extend a remarkable streak of seasons without a losing record from 15 to 16 years. And he might get in the playoffs, too.

Make no mistake about it. The Steelers still have one of the best coaches in the NFL.

Featured image via Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports