The Steelers are coming off of a season where they started with the toughest schedule. They don’t have the easiest schedule this year but something maybe more important, they won’t have to travel far.
The year was 2003. I was young, foolish, and I made a dumb bet. I had bet a relatively small amount of money that the Steelers would make the playoffs after starting off poorly. You have to remember, the Steelers had a stretch of 3 straight losing seasons that would make the recent pair of 8-8 seasons look good.
After that bad stretch from 1998 to 2000, the Steelers put together two straight playoff appearances. Finally, we were winning. The defense was great, Kordell Stewart was on the cover of NFL Blitz. And then this Tommy Maddox guy coming out of nowhere. But then 2003.
The Steelers won the first game, then lost. Then they won the third game, then lost. Then lost. Then lost. Then had a bye week, after which I was sure they’d get back to their playoff ways. Then lost. Then lost on a long flight to Seattle. The Steelers were 3-6 at the time.
Then, in week 11, I bet the season. By that I meant, I had been so frustrated by going back to rooting for a losing team, after coming out of that rough stretch back to the top, that I declared I would not watch any more games if the Steelers lost to the then 4-5 49ers in San Francisco. They lost by more than 2 touchdowns. The next year began the Roethlisberger era.
So I didn’t watch any games the rest of that season. It was clear the Steelers wouldn’t make the playoffs. They did go .500 after that though. Regardless, I had to do it because I said I would. You can’t make crazy bets off emotion when you’re a teenager. Lesson learned. The other lesson which would become clear the following season is that the Steelers have west coast problem.
The Steelers were in the AFC Central with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 1990s. During the time they played the Jacksonville Jaguars Bill Cowher lost a majority of the games they played in Florida. He also did not fair particularly well on the west coast or places like Denver.
This problem carried over to Mike Tomlin too. What the reason is is a matter of opinion. Maybe the weather getting warmer. Maybe the time zones. Maybe jet lag. But the fact is the Steelers don’t do well when they travel far distances.
Since 2010 the Steelers have been 4-10 when travelling west of the Mississippi River. They were 64-39 overall during that time period. So that Steelers, a .600 plus team, when travelling west, suddenly become a sub .300 team. We’re talking about a team that becomes half as good when they have to fly more than 2 hours.
Oddly enough, the Steelers travelling issues don’t seem to translate when they’re travelling south under Tomlin. They are 3-0 when travelling south more than 2 hours but still being east of the Mississippi river. This definitely lends credence to the time zone theory. Regardless of the reason. It’s a problem.
Of their west coast issues David DeCastro told USA Today, of playing across the country, “It’s hard. I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t.”
Ramon Foster said, “We have to be on point with what we’re doing and not focus on the flight, the time change and all the other stuff. We have to be sharp. No false starts. No mental mistakes.”
Tomlin echoed those thoughts as well, saying, “If we are playing well, if we minimize negativity, it will aid our efforts in terms of making that a variable that’s less significant than it can be.”
So the Steelers know it’s a problem. They don’t seem any more clear on why than we are however. But this is why the Steelers schedule for 2016 is so favorable. It’s not because of who they play, but because of where they play.
John Breech of CBS Sports pointed out the Steelers will travel less than any team in the NFL next season. The total miles they will travel is 5,138. Compare that to the Rams who will travel the most at 37,072 miles. More than 7 times what the Steelers will travel. The Rams keep finding ways to get away from Los Angeles. The Steelers will also play 0 games more than 2,000 miles away, compared to 4 for the 49ers, Seahawks, and the poor Rams.
So the schedule is the friend of the Steelers this year. They might have gotten a rough break with Martavis Bryant. They might miss Kelvin Beachum and Steve McLendon. But the schedule might make up for all of that.
Next: Steelers: Le'Veon Bell is not too injury prone
By the end of the season it’s influence will can’t be known for sure, but if the last half decade is any indication it should help us to the tune of one or two extra wins and as good as the Steelers are in a division like they are (and the injury history around the last couple years) in every win counts.