There’s been a lot of speculation about what will happen with the 2014 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coming off back to back 8-8 seasons and a number of changes to the roster over that span, there seems to be uncertainty as to how this season will pan out.
It seems that many people believe the Steelers will end up with a record somewhere between 8-10 wins. Eight wins will likely lead to serious talk of changes within the organization, ten wins would almost certainly get the Steelers back into the playoffs. In the tough AFC North, it might be enough to earn a division title.
What’s certain is the Steelers have a relatively easy path to the playoffs. This is particularly true when you dig a little deeper, and look at the list of probable quarterbacks the Steelers will face this year. The argument could be made that the list of QB’s the Steelers face is pretty weak and should give the new look Steelers defense a chance to be successful.
Let’s take a look at the schedule, and the probable starting QB’s the Steelers will face.
Week 1–Cleveland–The Browns have already announced that Brian Hoyer will be the starter in Steelers home opener. Hoyer has played for four teams in the past six seasons and has a grand total of four NFL starts. Sure, he had a solid two TD performance against the Bengals last year, but even though Browns tackle Joe Thomas amused many when he stated Hoyer is “a lot like Tom Brady”, one would think the Steelers will have the upper hand in this home opener.
Week 2–@Baltimore–Count me in as one of those who feel Joe Flacco got overpaid after an unreal Super Bowl run two seasons ago. Sure, Flacco has a ring, and he’s had some success against the Steelers recently, but I certainly don’t look at Flacco and think Peyton Manning. It could be much worse.
Week 3–@Carolina–Dual threat Cam Newton heads into the 2014 with a ton of question marks. First, a rib injury looks like it could be lingering, as he is not even a lock to start this weekend. Add the fact that they have one of the worst groups of receivers in the NFL, and there is reason to have confidence heading to Charlotte.
Week 4–Tampa Bay–Josh McCown? Mike Glennon? For now, McCown will lead the Buccaneers into Heinz Field for a late September visit. Now before you go all crazy about how great McCown is because he played well for your fantasy squad last year, be sure to say it out loud when you talk about the 35 year old journeyman; seven teams, 38 career starts, a completion percentage under 60 percent, and a QB rating of 77.5 in 11 seasons.
Week 5–@Jacksonville–Chad Henne. Need I say more?
Week 6–@Cleveland–What’s more fun, seeing that you get the Browns twice in the first six games, or the very real possibility you might get Johnny Manziel this time around? One can only hope.
Week 7–Houston–Mercifully for Texans fans, the Matt Schaub era is over. Not so mercifully, Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in to be his replacement. Yikes.
Week 8–Indianapolis–Though some might disagree about Flacco, I for one believe Andrew Luck is the first top flight QB on the schedule. Luck is on his way to a special career, and heading into his third season, he may lock himself in as one of the truly elite QB’s in the game. The only saving grace is this game will be at Heinz Field. Be loud fans, be very loud.
Week 9–Baltimore–Once again we get Flacco, this time at home and once again on primetime.
Week 10–@NY Jets–Sorry WVU fans, Geno Smith STINKS, and the Jets once again wasted an early pick on a QB who produced in system that worked in college versus overmatched defenses. At least at looks like the Steelers waited to waste a pick for a similar player (Landry Jones) until the fourth round! It’s very possible we see Michael Vick, if he’s healthy. Yeah, right.
Week 11–@Tennessee–Is it me or do we seemingly play the Titans every flipping year? There is a good news, bad news scenario to this one. On one hand, we face another first round reach in Jake Locker. On the other, we face a QB who played out of his mind in last year’s home opening loss, and looked really good in the preseason. This one might not be easy.
Week 13–New Orleans–Well, it’s my birthday and I will be at Heinz for this one. Is it possible for Drew Brees to sit this one out? So yeah, Brees is definitely elite. Newsflash eh?
Week 14–@Cincinnati–This is another, “if we are talking fantasy 2013” situation. Sure, Andy Dalton is a very good QB, but I do not consider him elite by any measure. Plus, if you are going to face Dalton and co, it’s not a bad thing to get them late, where strong winds, cold, and snow are all possible. This could hinder the weak armed Dalton.
Week 15–@Atlanta–Ugh. This could be a run for the hills type of game. Matt Ryan is ridiculous at home (34-7!!) and Julio Jones and Roddy White combine for one of the top WR tandems in the game. Oh, and the Falcons defense is terrible, so look for a shootout in Atlanta. This one has trouble written all over it.
Week 16–Kansas City–It’s a hard road for the Steelers late. The Chiefs head into Heinz in a game that might very well have significant playoff implications. I respect the heck out of Alex Smith, and he thrived last season playing for Andy Reid. Smith is not elite though, and getting the Chiefs in December at home is a big advantage.
Week 17–Cincinnati–Potential division title game? Dalton has struggled in big games, and his 0-3 playoff record is indicative of that. Again, this one is at home, so this has the look of a circle the calendar game.
By my estimations, the Steelers face one elite QB (Brees) two borderline elite QB’s (Luck, Ryan) and four QB’s that could be considered somewhere between 10 to 20 in the league (Flacco, Dalton, Newton, Alex Smith) That nine games where the strong case could be made that the Steelers will face bottom feeder QB’s, including a number of them early in the season.
For the Steelers to be successful, they must take advantage not only of a relatively easy schedule, especially preceding their week 12 bye, but also make the most of not having to play a ton of top flight QB’s, including Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
At least hopefully until the playoffs.
Photo Credit: New York Post
