Steelers 2020 strength of schedule is meaningless
By Eric Hassel
The Steelers will have a tough four-game stretch that may define the season
The next four games will not only be tough but maybe season-defining. In Week 6, the Steelers will host the Cleveland Browns. For whatever reason, regardless of record, we always seem to have tough games against the Browns. We generally come out on top in those games, but they are tough games, nonetheless.
I would give the edge to the Steelers in this game, considering we are at home and ‘Big Ben’ seems to play well against the Browns. Stranger things have happened, but I really don’t see us losing this one.
Week 7 will be a defining game, in my opinion. The Steelers will travel to Baltimore to face the defending AFC North champs, the Baltimore Ravens. Not only did the Ravens win the division, but they also finished with a 14-2 record.
Make no mistake, this game will be a tough one, as they always are. If we win, I think it will give us the impetus to ‘stack’ additional wins. If we lose, the ramifications could be season altering. What I mean by that is this: If the Steelers lose a close game, it probably won’t destroy our psyche; if we lose and lose badly, it may destroy our psyche.
After the bye week, the Steelers travel to the state of Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. This game will be another tough one. It’s a game that we may not win. We certainly could win, but playing on the road against the Cowboys after having played the Ravens on the road could prove to be an arduous task for us.
To round out this four-game stretch, the Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals. I would dare say that this game should be a win for us. I say ‘should be a win’ because anything can happen. If the Steelers need to win a game and need to win a conference game, this is the one we can and should take.
Let’s take a look at the next few games on the schedule.