Steelers vs Vikings Hall of Fame Game: A Concern For Longer Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a former player entering Canton this summer. Jerome Bettis, after numerous years of being passed over for other eligible candidates, will finally get that bronze bust in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The same week the ceremonies take place, the NFL holds the NFL Hall of Fame Game – a game played in Canton, Ohio and typically with two teams that have players being inducted that year. The NFL has selected the Steelers and the Vikings, who have center Mick Tingelhoff being inducted, as the two teams to face off in the HOF Game for 2015.
That is awesome news and sucky news. It’s awesome news because the Steelers will start their preseason one week sooner than the rest of the NFL – woot! The sucky news is that the Steelers will start their preseason one week sooner than the rest of the NFL – wahh wahh.
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The awesome reasoning is obvious. It’s one less week we have to wait to see our beloved Steelers march onto the fields in Latrobe. The Steelers will play in a preseason game a full week prior to any other team (except the Vikings, of course). You have to love that!
It also means that the coaches and players get one more week for evaluation. That is something that I think we all wish would happen, so that certainly is an added benefit this summer.
So how in the world could this possibly suck and add concern? No, it’s not because it’s the 2013 London rematch – although I would love to see another Le’Veon Bell dive into the end zone.
It’s an extra week of hitting. It’s an extra week of playing on the field. It’s an extra week of an opportunity for injury. It’s an extra week of football that could have negative implications late in the season with regards to endurance.
While 30 other NFL teams will have played four preseason games, the Steelers and Vikings will have played five. While 30 other NFL teams will have had two weeks of camp, the Steelers and Vikings will have had three. It is extra wear and tear on the body even though it’s just the preseason. Will it cause some players to run out of gas in Week 17? How about the Wild Card game or later?
Hard to project those feelings this early on – it is only February. But, the Steelers are contenders. They won the AFC North and made the playoffs in 2014. The are still building their defense, and the offense shows no signs of having a declining year from last season. Not quite sure the same could be said for the Vikings.
With all that said, I’m hoping that Steeler Nation reaps nothing but the good and none of the bad from participating in the HOF Game. The other upside is, hey, The Bus stops forever in Canton. Here We Go.