With the Steelers schedule finalized, here are four potential trap games to be aware of during the 2022 NFL season.
The NFL announced the official schedule for the 2022 season, and the Steelers weekly opponents are now set. While expectations are lower this year than usual, there is still hope for a decent season from the group. While I don’t believe that trap games in the traditional sense occur at the NFL level, teams can overlook opponents during the season.
One just has to think back to the miserable loss to the Jaguars the Steelers suffered in the playoffs in 2018. The talk of the was the revenge game they were going to have against the Patriots, but the Jaguars in turn knocked them out. No, teams don’t completely write off teams, but they can come out more relaxed and conservative against teams they deem inferior. With all that said, here are four potential trap games for the Steelers in 2022.
Steelers vs. Eagles
The Steelers will be making a short trip across Pennsylvania during week eight to play the Eagles. While Philadelphia isn’t a bad team by any means, they aren’t exactly imposing. This offense is built around the run and short passing game which makes them relatively predictable and not explosive.
The Eagle’s defense is another story, as they are a built-up unit heading into the year. That all said, they are a beatable opponent this season. Their game just so happens to come after a trio of difficult games and right before the bye week. The team may be looking ahead to getting the week off. Don’t be surprised to see this game be far more competitive than it should be.
Steelers vs. Falcons
To be clear, trap games typically fall onto teams that aren’t expected to be good and are sandwiched between difficult games. The Falcons fit this bill, as they are projected to have one of the worst rosters in the league next season. They moved one from veteran quarterback Matt Ryan and replaced him with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.
That isn’t the only thing hampering the Falcons’ offense though, as a lack of receiving threats also will likely limit this offense. Add in a mediocre defense and there is a real chance Atlanta is competing for the top pick of the draft next season. Their game against the Steelers comes later in the season. This may seem like a relief for the team, but it could quickly turn into a nightmare.
The Falcons will play after two games against good opponents. The Ravens come up right afterward, and the Steelers may be looking forward to that matchup instead of giving the Falcons the attention needed. With Mariota being as athletic as he is, he could hurt this defense on top of this. Don’t be surprised to see this game be closer than many would expect.
Steelers vs. Panthers
In a similar vein to how people view the Falcons, most people have relatively low expectations for the Panthers. While they have the tools to be a good team, they have a lot of question marks at their quarterback position which will likely limit them. They should be in better shape than the Falcons, but odds are both teams trend towards the bottom of the league in terms of record.
They play the Panthers in week 15 following a game against the Raiders. This is before the Steelers play their final stretch of three games, two of which are against divisional teams and the other is against a playoff team from last year. With all three of those games coming against AFC teams on top of this, Pittsburgh could end up looking ahead as opposed to focusing on their game against Carolina.
This could easily lead to a loss, as the Panthers, while possessing their struggles, still have the potential to be an average team. If the Steelers focus that week is on the games after the Panthers, it could lead to a closer game than it should be. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised by a loss this week as the team looks ahead to their final stretch of the regular season schedule.
Steelers vs. Jets
I’ll be honest, the Steelers week four game against the Jets is one of the most obvious games to circle as a potential loss to me. While everyone is expecting some improvement from New York this season and from their now second-year quarterback Zach Wilson, no one views the Jets as a serious competitor. If they aren’t clicking early in the season, this could easily end up being a loss.
This game is situated between two relatively difficult stretches of games. The first three are challenging (even more so if the Browns are starting Deshaun Watson by week three). The latter two after that are even worse, as the team will play Bills and Buccaneers in consecutive weeks after playing the Jets. If the Jets are winless at this point, odds are the Steelers will be looking ahead to their next games.
All signs point to this being a much more difficult game for the team than it should be. Despite some positive offseason changes, the Jets still aren’t a great team yet. With their game being sandwiched between two relatively tough stretches, don’t be surprised to see this game become more of a challenge than anyone would like to admit.
Again, the idea of a traditional trap game in the NFL is pretty silly. There is never a time when a team completely overlooks an opponent and doesn’t prepare. That said, the Steelers have been known to look past opponents when more difficult games are ahead of them. Don’t be surprised if that scenario unfolds in these four games.