The Pittsburgh Steelers are 11-0.

No, really. The Steelers are 11-0. They've played 11 games and haven't lost yet.

Not even once!

You wouldn't know that, though, by the reaction to this team from some Pittsburgh fans.

Yinz are out of your Black and Gold lovin' minds.

Do you know the last Steelers team to start a season 11-0?

You don't, because it has never happened.

Ever.

Not during the glory days of the 1970s.

Not during the Cowher Power years.

And not even during Mike Tomlin's amazing run of success in the 'Burgh.

So, just enjoy it, Steelers' fans. It's a pretty special and rare occurrence for a team to be undefeated in December.

It hasn't happened a whole lot of the years. The last team to do it was the 2015 Carolina Panthers, who went on to go 15-1 and reach the Super Bowl.

Of course, that team lost to the Denver Broncos in the Big Game.

Which brings me to this comparison.

The 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers remind me a lot of the 2015 Denver Broncos.

That Broncos team was led by their defense, which dominated week in and week out.

Sounds familiar.

That team had an aging, legendary quarterback who did what was needed to win games.

Sound familiar — although I will say Ben Roethlisberger is much better than Peyton Manning was in 2015.

The Steelers would do well to follow that Denver model in 2015.

It would result in another Lombardi Trophy in the offices at Heinz Field.

Other than the 2015 Panthers, only 15 other teams have started 11-0 in NFL history.

How did all those great teams fare?

Well ...

Only the 1998 Broncos, 1991 Redskins, 1985 Bears and 1972 Dolphins (duh) went on to win the championship.

The last five teams to start at least 11-0 — the 2015 Panthers, 2011 Packers, 2009 Colts, 2007 Patriots and 2005 Colts (poor Indy) haven't won the Super Bowl.

While the Steelers are 11-0, there are dings in the Steel Curtain, so I see where some of the more ardent fans are coming from in their criticism.

The running game has been inconsistent this season. The receivers came down with a nasty case of the Moncriefs and dropped a slew of passes in Wednesday's matinee against the Ravens. Roethlisberger is starting to show some age, even though he is putting up some very good numbers this season.

And now the defense has lost Bud Dupree for the season to a torn ACL, taking away one of the bookend edge rushers that has made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

Will the Steelers go undefeated? Probably not.

But they are what their record says they are, and their record says they are the best team in the NFL right now.

Hard to argue with perfection, except when perfect isn't good enough for yinz.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle