I wonder if Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is getting a sense of deja vu. Because Year 17 is starting to feel like his rookie campaign of 2004.

Roethlisberger took over for an injured Tommy Maddox in the middle of a Week 2 loss to Baltimore. From there, the Steelers won his first four starts to improve to 5-1 before facing back-to-back unbeaten teams in the New England Patriots (Oct. 31) and Philadelphia Eagles (Nov. 7).

Those two franchises would eventually meet in the Super Bowl that season. Something the Patriots won in 2003, and a game the Eagles missed by a week.

Similarly, this year the Steelers have started 5-0. But much like Roethlisberger’s first season, the real test is looming just before the end of October.

Roethlisberger and company will leave Heinz Field for the first time since Week 1 to face the 5-0 Tennessee Titans this Sunday. That’s followed by a showdown with the division rival Baltimore Ravens (5-1) in Maryland next Sunday.

“We respect it,” Tomlin said of the challenge of going to Tennessee this week. “We are playing them in their home venue. We’re humbled and excited to be in these five-star matchups. We will show that appreciation by how we prepare and ultimately by how we play as we move into the weekend.”

Much like that first season with Roethlisberger under center, the national buy-in factor with the Steelers is steadily growing.

NFL.com has the Steelers No. 2 in its power rankings, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. They are one spot in front of Tennessee, two in front of Baltimore, and three in front of the 5-0 Seattle Seahawks.

ProFootballTalk.com also has them third behind only Seattle and the Titans.

Ex-Steeler turned ESPN analyst Ryan Clark had this to say about his former team Monday morning, “If this defense plays this way, with (Chase) Claypool now as the No. 1 (receiving option) on offense, this team may be unbeatable.”

Oddsshark made the Steelers a slight favorite (1.0 point, now up to 2.0) in their game against Tennessee this week. With or without fans, how often do you see an unbeaten team open as a home underdog?

If you are giving me the points, I’ll take ‘em. And I’ll take Tennessee.

What? Are you now expecting 16-0? Or 15-1 like 2004? If so, when will you allow that loss to happen in your mind if it’s not this week or next against Baltimore?

If the Steelers split these next two games, be happy. If they win ‘em both? Sure. Then start taking those 2004 comparisons more seriously.

The Steelers are 5-0 for the first time since the Super Bowl XIII year of 1978. The franchise has won three more Super Bowls since then, has gone to two others, and has accumulated 19 seasons of at least 10 wins or more since that time. So if you don’t think being 5-0 is on borrowed time before enduring a loss in the NFL, consider that.

I’m expecting 2020 to be another one of those double-digit win seasons. Then again, I expected 10-6 at the outset. Maybe 11-5 in a best-case scenario.

Given that prediction, though, if you showed me the schedule before the season began, I would’ve said to reach 10 or 11 victories they’d probably need to win at least four, if not all five of the games they have already played anyway.

These next two games against elite intra-conference competition are swing games. These are the separators between the Steelers being near the top of the three-team wild-card heap or replicating a 2004-esque run to home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Credit the Steelers for winning the games they needed to win. Thus far, five wins in five tries. Four against teams under .500. Four at home.

I’m not sneezing at that. Too often in the recent past, Tomlin-coached Steelers rosters lost games they had no business losing. Those results cost the team playoff berths. Remembering those disappointing seasons, I’m not going to diminish the accomplishment thus far in 2020.

What I am saying is that Tennessee — while vulnerable on defense — has the highest-scoring offense in football, the best running back in the game in Derrick Henry, and a quarterback in Ryan Tannehill that has the third-best passer rating in the NFL. At 113.5, that’s better than the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Barring significant injuries, the Steelers ought to defeat the suddenly dreadful Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. In a worst-case projection, that should get Tomlin’s team to 6-2 at the halfway point of the season. Pace that out, and there’s every reason to believe the Steelers can stay in contention for the AFC North crown with Baltimore all year at 11 or 12 wins.

So I’m not here to rain on the parade of any Steelers fan. I’m just saying, pack an umbrella. Because the forecast starts to get a little cloudy over the next two weeks.

We’ll see if TribLive beat writer Joe Rutter agrees with me in our weekly “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. We look at the matchup in Nashville, the Steelers injury report, and some added tweaks for the Titans since the postponed game in Week 4.

Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter discuss how the Steelers matchup against the Titans

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