Schedule Released

[feltdizz]

Predicting us to be WINLESS IN OUR OWN DIVISION is a bit harsh, dontcha think, Pap?

it's crazy... this smells of lowballing.

We beat the Rats with Charlie freaking Batch... no way we go 0-6 in the division.

[thor75]

I don't like early bye weeks, but it may give Miller another week to get healthier. I predict he goes on the 8-week PUP and I'm pretty sure the bye week doesn't count as one of those weeks, but its still another week for him to heal.

[papillon]

it's crazy... this smells of lowballing.

We beat the Rats with Charlie freaking Batch... no way we go 0-6 in the division.

I just don't think the Steelers are going to be a consistently good football team. When I went through the list I wasn't intentionally having them lose all the games in the division, but I believe that 7-9 is their ceiling. If they go 2-4 or 3-3 in the division then they'll find ways to lose three other games that I have marked as a "W". Inconsistency plagued them last year and I haven't seen anything that indicates it will get better this year. They'll be replacing NFL starters with rookies or NFL backups at key offensive positions.

The defense will be okay, but with very few splash plays to help the offense gain a short field. Then there's the always exciting Steeler special teams. Unless a couple rookies come in and knock it out of the park on special teams they'll probably remain the same as this past year, inconsistent.

Inconsistent teams end up somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7, bad teams 6-10 or worse and good teams 10-6 or better. I'd love for someone to show me the area of the team that has improved form an average 8-8 team that will propel them to 9-7 or 10-6.

I may have the wins and losses wrong, but I think 7-9 is their ceiling and hoping for a miracle to be better.

Pappy

[Djfan]

I know everyone wants to do this, so I'll go first. The only major additions from now until September will be the rookies, so lets take a look at a won/loss record.

Sun., Sept. 8 TENNESSEE 1:00PM - W
Mon., Sept. 16 at Cincinnati 8:40PM - L
Sun., Sept. 22 CHICAGO 8:30PM - L
Sun., Sept. 29 at Minnesota 1:00PM - W
BYE --- ---
Sun., Oct. 13 at New York Jets 1:00PM - W
Sun., Oct. 20 BALTIMORE 4:25PM - L
Sun., Oct. 27 at Oakland 4:05PM - W
Sun., Nov. 3 at New England 4:25PM - L
Sun., Nov. 10 BUFFALO 1:00PM - W
Sun., Nov. 17 DETROIT 1:00PM - W
Sun., Nov. 24 at Cleveland 1:00PM - L
Thurs., Nov. 28 at Baltimore 8:30PM - L
Sun., Dec. 8 MIAMI 1:00PM - W
Sun., Dec. 15 CINCINNATI 8:30PM - L
Sun., Dec. 22 at Green Bay 4:25PM - L
Sun., Dec. 29 CLEVELAND 1:00PM - L

7-9 that's my prediction, definitely a rebuilding year regardless of what Colbert is telling us. The bad news is the following year will be rebuilding as well as the Steelers say good bye to Keisel, Taylor, Clark and Polamalu in all likelihood. It could be a rough few years for the fans.

Pappy

No way we lose every division game. No way.

[Captain Crunch]

I just don't think the Steelers are going to be a consistently good football team. When I went through the list I wasn't intentionally having them lose all the games in the division, but I believe that 7-9 is their ceiling. If they go 2-4 or 3-3 in the division then they'll find ways to lose three other games that I have marked as a "W". Inconsistency plagued them last year and I haven't seen anything that indicates it will get better this year. They'll be replacing NFL starters with rookies or NFL backups at key offensive positions.

The defense will be okay, but with very few splash plays to help the offense gain a short field. Then there's the always exciting Steeler special teams. Unless a couple rookies come in and knock it out of the park on special teams they'll probably remain the same as this past year, inconsistent.

Inconsistent teams end up somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7, bad teams 6-10 or worse and good teams 10-6 or better. I'd love for someone to show me the area of the team that has improved form an average 8-8 team that will propel them to 9-7 or 10-6.

I may have the wins and losses wrong, but I think 7-9 is their ceiling and hoping for a miracle to be better.

Pappy

I'm not agreeing with the doom and gloom, and I doubt this team is going to lose every division game... The truth is, at this point, no one knows how the final roster is going to look. And by the same token we don't know who (or if) is going to step up and replace the production of Wallace, Harrison and Lewis... because for me these are the areas of concern. I think that Lewis is the toughest one to replace from last year; he was solid at knocking down passes. Sure Wallace had a couple of home runs last year, but he also did his share of helping to stop drives. Harrison was MIA till the end of the season and we had no Troy. But the defense still did very well. Add a stud WR and RB and let Ben do his thing. Heaths production is going to be missed until he comes back... Paulson will get his shot to show what he has...

I wouldn't jump the gun till we see what the roster shapes up to be. If we have a lot of youth as starters I could see some growing pains. But the other way to look at it is, we bring in some dynamic young guys to the mix, and with Ben back there we have as good a chance as anyone in our division.

[NW Steeler]

it's crazy... this smells of lowballing.

We beat the Rats with Charlie freaking Batch... no way we go 0-6 in the division.

My thoughts exactly. No way we get swept by the division. While the Browns are getting better, they are STILL the Browns until proven otherwise.
We can easily split with Baltiwhore and the Bungles.

[flippy]

My thoughts exactly. No way we get swept by the division. While the Browns are getting better, they are STILL the Browns until proven otherwise.
We can easily split with Baltiwhore and the Bungles.

On paper, we should sweep the Rats and Browns and Geno Atkins should kill Ben twice. I say 4-2 in the division.

[fordfixer]

I know everyone wants to do this, so I'll go first. The only major additions from now until September will be the rookies, so lets take a look at a won/loss record.

Sun., Sept. 8 TENNESSEE 1:00PM - W
Mon., Sept. 16 at Cincinnati 8:40PM - L
Sun., Sept. 22 CHICAGO 8:30PM - L
Sun., Sept. 29 at Minnesota 1:00PM - W
BYE --- ---
Sun., Oct. 13 at New York Jets 1:00PM - W
Sun., Oct. 20 BALTIMORE 4:25PM - L
Sun., Oct. 27 at Oakland 4:05PM - W
Sun., Nov. 3 at New England 4:25PM - L
Sun., Nov. 10 BUFFALO 1:00PM - W
Sun., Nov. 17 DETROIT 1:00PM - W
Sun., Nov. 24 at Cleveland 1:00PM - L
Thurs., Nov. 28 at Baltimore 8:30PM - L
Sun., Dec. 8 MIAMI 1:00PM - W
Sun., Dec. 15 CINCINNATI 8:30PM - L
Sun., Dec. 22 at Green Bay 4:25PM - L
Sun., Dec. 29 CLEVELAND 1:00PM - L

7-9 that's my prediction, definitely a rebuilding year regardless of what Colbert is telling us. The bad news is the following year will be rebuilding as well as the Steelers say good bye to Keisel, Taylor, Clark and Polamalu in all likelihood. It could be a rough few years for the fans.

Pappy

Well now that we have this year out of the way, who do you guy's like in next years draft???

[RuthlessBurgher]

Let's take the optimist's view, shall we?

We will likely be favorites in every game at Heinz this year (maybe the Ravens and Bengals games should be close to pick 'ems, because those tough division games are always close), but shouldn't we be able to beat the Titans, Bears, Bills, Lions, Dolphins, and Browns at home? Darn tootin' we should. Not saying that we will win all those games (usually, there is a loss or two in there...maybe Chicago, Detroit, or a division rival bites us at our place), but every one of those games is certainly winnable for us.

On the road, we are likely underdogs in New England, Green Bay, Baltimore, and Cincinnati...I'll give you that. All tough games. But shouldn't we be able to go in the road and beat Christian Ponder's Vikings, Mark Sanchez's Jets, Matt Flynn's Raiders, and Brandon Weeden's Browns? Heck yeah, we should.

Remember this team still has Roethlisberger, some useful weapons for him, and a defense that didn't just suddenly forget how to play overnight. With everything seemingly against us last year, we still finished .500. If we don't experience the degree of injuries that we had last season, what is stopping us from contending for the playoffs? I don't understand how someone could say that 7-9 is our CEILING for next year...that GUARANTEEING NINE LOSSES. I sure don't see 9 guaranteed losses on that schedule.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Well now that we have this year out of the way, who do you guy's like in next years draft???

If 7-9 is our ceiling, then we must have a Jadeveon Clowney level floor.

[thor75]

Well now that we have this year out of the way, who do you guy's like in next years draft???

[papillon]

If 7-9 is our ceiling, then we must have a Jadeveon Clowney level floor.

The Steelers are one injury away from Jadeveon Clowney, IMHO.

Pappy