Pittsburgh Steelers' 2010 Predicted Schedule

Brian GulishApr 20, 2010

What would the odds be in Vegas if you could place a bet on a "predicted" NFL regular season schedule?

The opponents are given, but dates, exact location, time and network are all up to the powers that be in the NFL.

If you nail all the games in correct weekly order, lets say 2500-1.

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Pick all games in correct order, including home and away inside the division, 3000-1.

Pick all games in correct order, home and away inside division and exact dates (including SNF, MNF, and Thursday night) 4000-1.

Now this is where it gets as tricky as the NFL tie breaking procedure, pick all games in correct order, home and away inside division, exact dates and TIMES (including 1PM/4PM Sunday games) 5000-1.

Seems as if these numbers may be very low. I think these odds could even be double or triple what they are. Imagine if you, or anyone outside the league office, could pick JUST ONE TEAM'S exact schedule, taking into account other events at the venue, other events at opposing teams venues, television rights, etc.

Here is my attempt at predicting the 2010 Regular Season schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thought process:

Ben Roethlisberger suspension. Presuming he will be suspended no more than three games, the Steelers first "marquee" matchup won't come until week five. It will be nationally televised and it will have an alternative storyline to counteract Ben, what better than the New York Jets and Santonio Holmes, who will also be coming off suspension! That matchup comes week five.

Since the Steelers won't be opening the season with two consecutive road games, week two will most likely be on the road due to the Pirates' final game at home, the Steelers will open the season at home. That rules out the NFL opener at New Orleans, which would be a ratings explosion. But without Ben and the fact that they won't go A-A to start the season, the Steelers and Saints will be a Monday Night game, likely prior to the Steelers bye. Let us put that game week six.

The Steelers and Patriots are always a major draw, so we throw them at Heinz Field on a Monday night in December.

This final thought is blatantly obvious, I may not have the teams correct, but hear me out.

The Steelers will play one game on the NFL Networks Thursday Night Schedule. They have since its inception, and they will this season. Put that with the fact that the Steelers, if all the rumors are correct, WILL NOT be able to play at home on January 2 due to the increasing possibility that the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field for the NHL Winter Classic the day prior.

THUS, the Steelers final home game will be week 16. They will be on the road week 17. In order to give the NHL ample time to turn Heinz Field in to a hockey rink, the Steelers will play their Thursday night game, week 16, at home against the Baltimore Ravens, who the Steelers always seem to have a nationally televised game against at least once a season.

With that said, to keep the excitement in the region for the New Year's weekend, the NFL will keep the Steelers local, as in Cleveland on January 2.

If you are following along, if those games in themselves are predicted right, that should be 2500-1! This is more complicated than projecting the first round of the NFL Draft!

Here is my final predicted 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers schedule!

DISCLAIMER: If I can nail a quarter of this schedule on the correct weeks, I'm on a flight to Vegas tomorrow.

1 H – Sunday 9/12 Cleveland Browns 1PM CBS

2 A – Sunday 9/19 Tennessee Titans 1PM CBS

3 A – Sunday 9/26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1PM CBS

4 H – Sunday 10/3 Cincinnati Bengals 1PM CBS

5 H – Sunday 10/10 New York Jets 8PM NBC

6 A – Monday 10/18 New Orleans Saints 830PM ESPN

7 BYE

8 H – Sunday 10/31 Atlanta Falcons 4PM FOX

9 A – Sunday 11/7 Cincinnati Bengals 1PM CBS

10 H – Sunday 11/14 Oakland Raiders 1PM CBS