Steelers second half schedule positions them for a playoff berth
When the 2024 NFL regular season schedule was released earlier this year, many Steelers fans were looking at the games beyond Pittsburgh’s bye week as a nearly impossible juggernaut to tackle.
The latter half of the schedule, which includes all six AFC North games, plus matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, was thought to be the toughest portion of any team of the league.
Looking back on the Steelers’ 6-2 start to their season thus far, an AFC North title isn’t far out of reach, even with formidable opponents coming up. The first of those big games is a road clash against the 7-2 Washington Commanders.
This game was probably the only “gimme” when initially seen on paper ahead of the season’s start, but now it looks like anything but up against rookie QB Jayden Daniels and new head coach Dan Quinn. The new-look team in Washington has a balanced offense that ranks third in points scored and is 4-0 at home this season.
On the Steelers side is a full week of rest, which can be a blessing or curse, as the team gets back in the groove of playing but also gets a few familiar faces healthy. Pittsburgh should have starting center Zach Frazier and outside linebacker Nick Herbig back for this big game, while a few other notable returnees are kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson and cornerback Cameron Sutton (who is returning from a suspension.)
The Steelers’ second-ranked scoring defense, which is also fourth against the run could stifle the Commanders’ third-best rushing offense and force the rookie QB to make mistakes.
Next on the schedule is the first of the Steelers’ six AFC North matchups, at home hosting the Baltimore Ravens. The 6-3 Ravens will enter this game following a “mini bye” after they play this Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
With or without the extra rest, the two squads should be battling for division supremacy regardless of the this week’s outcomes. The Ravens are also a beast on offense, scoring 31.4 points per game (2nd best in the league) behind the top rushing and third-best passing offense.
The Steelers will need Russell Wilson to continue his ascension to his previous MVP form, as the Ravens have the worst pass defense in the league, and have surrendered the 23rd-most points on that side of the ball.
The cruelty of the schedule makers doesn’t stop there, as Pittsburgh heads to Cleveland on a short week to play Thursday Night Football. Usually, the Steelers are licking their wounds following any matchup against the Ravens, due to the physicality of the two teams. Head coach Mike Tomlin also won’t have the luxury of being able to rest or give a lower snap count to some of his stars in that Sunday game against Baltimore, something he would typically exercise in order to limit injuries and have fresher bodies available for Thursday.
Despite those potential setbacks, the Cleveland Browns are a team in flux. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson is out for the season, replaced by veteran Jameis Winston who got smoked by the Chargers defense for three interceptions last Sunday. Cleveland has also traded away their top receiver (Amari Cooper) and a stellar pass rusher (Za’Darius Smith) as the two-win team starts looking ahead to next season.
Still, these division games, especially on short weeks, can be brutal.
The mini bye following the Browns game leads the Steelers to Cincinnati, where they’ll meeting a Bengals with an identity crisis but coming off of a bye week. QB Joe Burrow has been elite this season, but the remainder of his team has failed to hold up the fort, leading to the Bengals current 4-5 situation. They made a trade deadline move with the Bears for running back help, acquiring Khalil Herbert as their new starter Zach Moss is sidelined indefinitely. Herbert is expected to help the league’s 25th ranked rushing offense.
WR Tee Higgins, who started this year in a contract disagreement and holdout, has been off and on the injury list. The Bengals defense is near the bottom of the league in points allowed and has been average against the pass and run. Still, it’s an AFC North battle but one the Steelers could have a handle on as they’ll have some rest and both sides should be relatively healthy for this game.
Following the trips to Cleveland and Cincinnati, the Steelers then host the Cleveland Browns at home before making two more road trips, for a total of four games out of five on the road near the home stretch of the season. The first trip is to Philadelphia, a city the Steelers historically struggle to win at.
The Eagles are another team with a winning record, currently sitting at 6-2 during the time of this writing. RB Saquon Barkely has lifted the Eagles offense to the second-best rushing attack while Philly’s defense is stout against the run and pass.
The Steelers will need to enter Philadelphia healthy and with some momentum in order to turn the tide in their favor. But if that’s not all, Pittsburgh will then travel to Baltimore following this matchup for their next-to-last AFC North division game. It will be played on a Saturday, providing a shorter week against a key opponent, as the schedule makers secured a Christmas Day contest with the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs for the next-to-last game of the season.
The Christmas game will be played on a Wednesday, giving the Steelers another short turnaround, but following this Netflix exclusive broadcast, Pittsburgh catches their breath to host the Bengals for the home finale on January 5th. The extra break could be enough to heal up for a playoff run – which, even with the daunting schedule ahead of them, the Steelers should be in line for a postseason spot.
The Steelers hot start means they only have to split half of their remaining games to sit at ten wins for the season.
That’s the proverbial floor, as a contender should expect to place higher. Winning five or six of the next nine games could mean the Steelers have a shot at not only winning the division, but might be playing the Chiefs on Christmas to decide a tiebreaker for the AFC’s first place berth: and a bye week to start the playoffs.
With the Steelers having gone 5-1 against the AFC North in 2023, with what appears to be a lesser roster than they have this season, fans could anticipate that the team does better than split their division games, finishing with ten wins or more for the year.
