BREAKING DOWN THE STEELERS SCHEDULE
Trying to predict a team’s season by going through the schedule is a dangerous proposition. Actually, it almost never works.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what’s ahead for the Steelers.
They are starting the season with a quarterback who has had one NFL start and is coming off of a terrible performance in the exhibition game that was supposed to be his audition.
Dennis Dixon didn’t made a good case for being the nuymber three or four quarterback with that performance against Denver.
So what should we expect in the four games that he’ll start before Ben Roethlisberger comes back?
Right now I’m thinking 1-3. I’m not going to try to predict which game they’ll win but Tampa Bay looks like the best bet.
Dixon may light it up and be the talk of the NFL. I just haven’t seen anything to make me think that he will.
What’s the over-under on how many games he plays before he’s either hurt or yanked? I’m thinking two.
I would be a lot more optimistic about Dixon’s chance to shine if Santonio Holmes were still one of his receivers. As I’ve said many times, I don’t think this is going to be a good year to be the Steelers’ quarterback.
I said I’m thinking 1-3 in the first four, but I’m willing to give them 2-2.
It’s going to take at least 10 wins to make the playoffs and that means that, with Ben Roethlisberger, they’re going to have to go 8-4. Not out of ther question by any means.
There are five division games left when Roethlisberger comes back. I don’t think they’ll win more than three of them. There are at lesst two losses to Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland. You can’t automatically count the two games with the Browns as wins because the Steelers lost to them last season.
So, 2-2 and 3-2 equals 5-4.
That means the Steelers have to go 5-2 against the Saints, Dolphins, Raiders, Bills, Jets, Patriots and Panthers. I think 4-3 is more like it and, depending on injuries, 3-4 might be more realistic.
That adds up to 9-7. One more win and they go 10-6 and probably make the playoffs. (Remember, that’s based on them going 2-2 in the first four games.)
Would I be shocked if they went 10-6? No. Would I be any more shocked if they went 8-8? No.
What happens if they lose either Ward or Wallace to an injury? What happens if Rashard Mendenhall gets hurt? What it Troy Polamalu only plays 10 games?
How healthy Polomalu, Aaron Smith and Mendenhall are could be the difference between an OK season and a disaster.
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Date: September 7, 2010
Categories: Sports