Don’t expect fans at stadium for Steelers Week 1 matchup at New York

The 2020 season could be very unusual. Here’s why we shouldn’t expect fans at MetLife Stadium for the Steelers Week 1 matchup against the Giants.

NFL teams are pretty much in the same boat when it comes to changes for the 2020 season. Already, the NFL has indicated that the preseason length with be cut down and that there could end up being no preseason games this year. But that’s not all. The Steelers and Giants could be without fans at MetLife Stadium for their Week 1 matchup this year.

Recently, the New York Giants and the New York Jets released a joint statement regarding fans in their stadiums for the upcoming NFL season. Here’s what they had to say:

By the looks of things, I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume that, unless things take a drastic turn for the better, we won’t be seeing any fans in the stands for the Steelers first matchup this year.

If this is the case, it will be a very unusual situation for oddsmakers. Typically, the home team is given 3 points in betting lines as home-field advantage, but that may no longer be the case. While the Giants will be playing on their own turf, they likely won’t have the crowd noise at their backs in Week 1 and it could almost turn the matchup to a level playing field.

If the Steelers elected to go the same route as the Giants and Jets, it could have devastating results to their 2020 season. As I’m sure you are already aware, Pittsburgh is a terrific home team and they rarely lose to opponents with losing records on their own turf. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about their performances on the road. Each of the past three seasons, Pittsburgh has dropped a road game to an opponent with a losing record.

Ben Roethlisberger is entering one of his final seasons, and the window is quickly closing on Pittsburgh’s chances. If the Steelers decide not to allow fans in at Heinz Field, it could potentially limit their home-field advantage and take away something they have done so well over the years.

Obviously, the safety of the players, staff, and fans will come first, and the Rooney’s will take the proper precautions to do what they feel is right for the team. If things don’t improve quickly, it may just be a matter of time before the Steelers follow suit.

At the end of the day, the 2020 season will certainly be an unusual one and it may be harder than ever to predict the outcome of games. For now, we can at least be pretty safe in assuming the Steelers and Giants won’t have fans in their first game against each other this year.