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Steelers 2020 strength of schedule is meaningless

By Eric Hassel

NASHVILLE, TN - AUGUST 25: Head Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the sidelines during a game against the Tennessee Titans during week three of preseason at Nissan Stadium on August 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Steelers defeated the Titans 18-6. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - AUGUST 25: Head Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the sidelines during a game against the Tennessee Titans during week three of preseason at Nissan Stadium on August 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Steelers defeated the Titans 18-6. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 22: James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 22: James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

The Steelers may need to rely on the running game in the next three games to emerge as victors

In Week 11, the Steelers will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had a sub-par season in 2019, finishing with a 6-10 record.  Again, this is one of those games that, on paper, we should win.

I think at this point in the season if the running game has been re-established and is ‘firing on all cylinders’, we should be able to not only beat the Jags but perhaps beat the subsequent two opponents as well.  If we lose to the Jags, the game that will be played the following week will prove to be difficult.

Week 12 brings the Ravens into town for a Thanksgiving Day game.  On a short week, the home team definitely has an advantage; however, the Ravens will be coming off a home game and we will be coming off a road game, so who has the edge in this scenario?

No game against the Ravens is an easy one and this one certainly won’t be an easy one either, but, similar to the game against the Jags, if we can run the ball effectively, we can win.  The Ravens defense has traditionally been solid against the run but on a short week, I think it would be much easier to install a game plan that is heavy in the running department than it is to install a heavy passing game.

The final game of this three-game stretch brings the Washington Redskins into town.  Although the Redskins finished 3-13 in 2019, in 2020, they will have a new coach, new personnel, and perhaps on a new mindset.  After a nine-day rest, the Steelers should be able to handle whatever the ‘Skins can throw at us, so we should emerge victorious in this contest.

Let’s finish reviewing the 2020 schedule.

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