Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Schedule Released

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Early bye, two NFC East powerhouse away games, face rookie RGIII (probably) and the Ravens twice within three weeks.  Those are just some of the highlights of the Steelers’ 2012 schedule.  Here’s your schedule:

Week 1: Sun 9/9 @ Broncos  8:20pm NBC

Week 2: Sun 9/16 vs. Jets  4:15pm  CBS

Week 3: Sun 9/23 @ Raiders 4:15pm CBS

Week 4: Bye

Week 5: Sun 10/7 vs. Eagles  1:00pm FOX

Week 6: Thurs 10/11 @ Titans  8:20pm NFLN

Week 7: Sun 10/21 @ Bengals 8:20pm NBC

Week 8: Sun 10/28 vs Redskins 1:00pm FOX

Week 9: Sun 11/4 @ Giants  4:15pm CBS

Week 10: Mon 11/12 vs. Chiefs  8:30pm ESPN

Week 11: Sun 11/18 vs. Ravens  8:20pm NBC

Week 12: Sun 11/25 @ Browns  1:00pm  CBS

Week 13: 12/2 @ Ravens  4:15pm CBS

Week 14: 12/9 vs. Chargers  1:00pm  CBS

Week 15: 12/16  @ Cowboys  4:15pm CBS

Week 16: 12/23 vs. Bengals  1:00pm CBS

Week 17: 12/30 vs. Browns  1:00pm CBS

This is a pretty good schedule for the Steelers with some minor (and major) exceptions.  The bye week is the most glaring.  The bye in week 4 will make the latter part of the season difficult to manage the injury list – especially when the Steelers will be playing the Ravens two out of three weeks (Weeks 11 and 13).  The Steelers also play the defending Super Bowl champs away, as well as face a ‘sometimes we play like we know what the hell we are doing’ Cowboys in Dallas.  The other NFC East highlight is playing rookie RGIII since he will more than likely be drafted by the ‘Skins after their draft trades.

The team is seeing plenty of prime time action – great news for those who can’t get the overpriced and under produced Sunday NFL Ticket.  The Steelers face Manning and the Broncos and what will be a media frenzy of Wild Card rematch (minus Tebow) and the re-emergence of Peyton ‘How Do You Like My New Swivel Neck?’ Manning.  NBC gets one of the two matches against the Ravens.  Oh joy, I can’t wait to hear what hillbillies of Michaels and Collinsworth have to say this year about this rivalry.

The Steelers don’t start divisional games until Week 7 when they face the Bungles on Sunday night in Cincy.  They don’t play another divisional game for another three weeks.  The NFL scheduling

geniuses

nimrods have put a huge emphasis on the North Division this season by making the Steelers play 5 of their last 7 as divisional games.  Makes that bye week look pretty bad now doesn’t it?

Aside from some of these potential bumps and challenges along the way, this is a very doable schedule for the Steelers.  Should they excel and find their groove while playing the non-divisional games, they could be firing on all cylinders when they face the Bengals and then the Ravens twice all within a month.  Has the potential for a huge momentum swing in the North, or could put them under the gun late in the season.  If the Steelers can draft well and stay healthy, they have a great chance of going somewhere around 11-5 or 12-4 this season.

What do the rest of you think about this schedule?