Steelers may suffer first losing season in 2022 under Mike Tomlin

The Steelers could see the first losing season under Mike Tomlin thanks to the 2022 schedule 

Now that the anticipation of the Steelers 2022 schedule release has been realized, let’s discuss the very real possibility that we may suffer our first losing season under Mike Tomlin.  I certainly am not expecting us to have a losing season, but if I am being objective, I think it may happen.

While we will not conduct a game-by-game review of the schedule, we will touch on a few games that I believe could be the difference between emerging with a winning record or settling for a losing record.  To be clear, it would be settling if we end up with a losing record.

For the record, as it were, my soon-to-be twenty-four-year-old son and I have done our own game-by-game predictions for the past fourteen years or so. We have been accurate with our predictions within one or two games either way.

I predicted that we would go nine up and eight down while my son gave us eleven wins and six losses.  If my math is correct, we could either go seven up and ten down, which would be a losing record, or we could end up with thirteen wins and four losses.

The Steelers have a manageable schedule on paper, but a few games may decide our fate for 2022

So the NFL did us no favors by having us open the 2022 season on the road, yet again, against the Cincinnati Bengals.  This game will set the tone for the entire season.  If we play well and win, that would obviously be a confidence booster.

If we play well but lose, that would be more palatable than playing poorly and losing badly.  If the latter occurs, the season may be lost from the ‘get go’.  Both my son and I predicted a loss here so I guess we will see how that plays out.

The next challenges will come in weeks five and six when we travel to face the Buffalo Bills, whom we always play tough but the fact that the game is on the road may be the difference between a win and a loss, then we are at home to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Both of those games could be losses, but if we can win one out of two, that would be ideal.  I do not see that happening, so that’s two more games in the loss column, but, again, we would probably need to win one of those games to keep our playoff hopes on track.

Similar to weeks five and six, weeks seven and eight are the first of two weeks where the Steelers play back-back-back road games. Week seven has us traveling south to Florida to face the Miami Dolphins in a Sunday night game.  Week eight has us traveling across the state to face the team from the City of Brotherly Love, the Philadelphia Eagles.

I think both of those games are losses, but, again, we will probably need to win one of those games to keep pace not only in the division but in the conference as well.  I think the two games that may decide the fate of the 2022 season will come in weeks thirteen and weeks fifteen.

These games against the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, respectively, are of paramount importance and may be the difference between competing for another Lombardi Trophy or watching the playoffs from the comfort of our living rooms after having suffered through the first losing season under Coach Tomlin. That is something the Steelers have thankfully never had to endure in the previous fifteen seasons.