This year’s schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers is an interesting one. It features some key matchups, which are especially intriguing with Aaron Rodgers in the fold. Unfortunately, it ends with a brutal stretch of games. With that in mind, insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks the Steelers must start hot to hope to contend in the AFC.
“I mean, it’s almost a carbon copy of last year,” Fittipaldo said, speaking on the Rothman and Ice show on Monday. “They better make hay early on… If they’re not 3-1 at the end of the first month, I think it’s gonna be tough for them. ‘Cause if you look at their schedule, they’ve got Detroit in December, and then once again, they have two games against the Ravens in the second half… It’s really gonna be tough again in December and January. If you want to break it into sections, section one, you might want to be 6-2, 7-2 at the end of that, if you want a chance to contend in the AFC.”
In many ways, it is similar to last year’s brutal slate to end the season. Coming into that year, most highlighted that stretch of games, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cincinnati Bengals to end the year. Making things even more difficult was the fact that Pittsburgh played three of those games within 11 days, including their Christmas Day affair against the Chiefs.
Things aren’t getting any easier this year. For most of the second half of the season, the Steelers have arguably the most brutal stretch of games in the league. From Week 10 onwards, they play the Los Angeles Chargers, Bengals, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and the Ravens twice. Pittsburgh also plays the Cleveland Browns during that stretch, which feels like the only game that should confidently end in a win. Among those teams, four made the playoffs last year, with the Bengals and Dolphins each falling just short.
With that said, as Fittipaldo alludes to, the front half of the schedule is much easier. Pittsburgh still has some tough opponents in there, but that part of the calendar is stacked with matchups against the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, the Browns, and the Indianapolis Colts. Those feel like games the Steelers should, and need to win, in order to contend in the AFC.
Getting off to a good start wasn’t a problem for the Steelers last year. They started 3-0 under Justin Fields, and were 4-2 by the time Russell Wilson took over. Wilson looked even better as the starter for a while. He won six of his first seven games, giving the Steelers a 10-3 record in the process. What Pittsburgh won’t hope to replicate is their late-season collapse. Perhaps it was fatigue, or just a lack of talent, but Pittsburgh collapsed at the worst possible time.
Getting off to such a good start, some thought of the Steelers as Super Bowl contenders last season. Some analysts even have that same hope now. Last year, Pittsburgh couldn’t back that up on the field. We’ll see if they can this time around, as the Steelers hope to be a major player in the AFC.
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