The Steelers will have their bye week come earlier than they ever could have expected. Here’s why a Week 4 bye will hurt their Super Bowl chances this year.
Steelers fans couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2020 NFL season than the one we witnessed in the first three weeks. While it hasn’t always been pretty, Pittsburgh found a way to pull out the win in each of their first three contests despite their 38-year-old quarterback returning from major elbow surgery.
Mike Tomlin’s team hasn’t started this hot since 2010 – the last time Pittsburgh appeared in the Super Bowl. With a win against the Titans this week, the Steelers could have progressed to their first 4-0 record since the 1979 season when Chuck Noll’s team finished 12-4 and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, a bump in the road could ultimately hinder their chances of winning it all this season. This statement might seem a bit dramatic, but it’s true. Because Pittsburgh’s Week 4 contest against the Tennessee Titans has been postponed, the Steelers are now set to have their bye after just three games into the season.
Pittsburgh has looked impressive thus far. The defense has pinned back their ears and gotten after the quarterback early and often, while the opposing teams have failed to consistently move the ball on the ground. Offensively, the Steelers started the season better than expected. While Ben Roethlisberger is still working on shaking off the remaining rust, he has taken good care of the ball – throwing for 7 touchdowns compared to just 1 interception.
This could be a recipe for success, but a long stretch of games could really hurt this team. Here are four reasons why the Steelers Super Bowl chances may have decreased after being forced to have their bye week early:
No rest for injured Steelers
Having a Week 8 bye would have been ideal for Pittsburgh. It would have come right in the middle of the season and between facing the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys – perhaps the two most difficult games on their schedule this year. Unfortunately, that bye week is probably going to be gone.
In order to fit the Titans game back in Pittsburgh’s schedule somewhere along the way, the Steelers will likely have to play 13 straight games without a break heading into the playoffs.
We have seen in the past how important bye weeks can before players recuperate from nagging injuries in the middle of the season, but Pittsburgh will now be one of two NFL teams (the other being the Titans) who will not have that privilege in 2020. As a result, it’s possible that Pittsburgh will enter the playoffs fatigued and more banged up than the opponents they will be facing.
This isn’t to say that they are guaranteed to get knocked out early, but I like our chances better if we have a team with fresh legs going into the most difficult games of the year. Assuming they make it into the playoffs, it’s unlikely they will have all of their starters after a 13-game stretch without a break. If they somehow make it to the Super Bowl, we are looking at 16 games with no break in between.
No time to rest Ben Roethlisberger’s throwing arm
Anytime the fate of your season rests on your 38-year-old quarterback, you are going to want to make sure he is in peak condition entering the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Steelers may not have a choice when it comes to Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh could potentially be fighting for the AFC North and home-field advantage this year, which would be no time to give Roethlisberger a rest.
Even if they fall short to the Baltimore Ravens, seeding is important, and they will want to finish high on the list of Wild Card teams. This means that not only will Big Ben be out there for the next 13 weeks in a row (assuming he stays healthy all season), but he will have a lot of usage on his arm by that point.
Through the first three weeks of the 2020 season, Roethlisberger has thrown the ball 109 times (36.3 times per game). This means that he’s on pace to deliver 580 pass attempts this season. Without a break to give his throwing elbow rest in between, Ben could be feeling the effects of not having a bye week by the end of the season.
Fatigue will set in
It doesn’t matter if these are some of the best athletes in the world. When you play the most physical team game on the planet over the course of four months without a break, your body is going to be exhausted. That’s what will happen to Steelers players if their midseason bye week is taken away.
While some players will no doubt be playing through injuries as Pittsburgh inches towards the playoffs, others may see a decline in play due to fatigue. As I mentioned before, benching players may not be an option; unless the Steelers want to risk dropping their seed heading into the playoffs.
With an aging Ben Roethlisberger and an offensive line with probably their three best players in their 30s, it’s going to be hard to dive into the playoffs without having a chance for their bodies to recuperate.
The Steelers are legitimate contenders in 2020, but being forced to have their bye week this early throws a wrench into their season this year. Let’s hope it’s not enough to derail them from earning a shot at the Super Bowl this year.