Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Schedule: Previewing the First 4 Weeks

Over the course of the coming days and weeks, I will be previewing the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2012 regular season, one quarter at a time. First up is Weeks 1 through 4, games which pose unique challenges before ending on a very early bye week.

Week 1: at Denver Broncos

The scene of the Pittsburgh Steelers' playoff defeat in 2011 is where they'll kick off 2012, albeit with a number of very significant differences.

Most glaringly, Peyton Manning will be under center instead of Tim Tebow. Improper defensive preparation for Tebow—assuming, incorrectly, that he could not complete consecutive accurate deep passes—cost the Steelers a playoff win.

This time around, the Steelers will be well aware of the passing prowess of the Broncos' starting quarterback, so their secondary shouldn't be shredded as easily—and if so, for far different reasons.

The Steelers offense will be quite different from what it was the last time around. Ostensibly, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger won't be hobbled by injury and will be as close to 100 percent as we're likely to see him all year.

The run game should take on a different form with Todd Haley the new offensive coordinator and Isaac Redman being the team's No. 1 back (Rashard Mendenhall isn't expected back for the regular season).

This will be a statement game for the Steelers right off the bat. It's nationally televised, it's the return of Manning and it's the first time anyone will get a true look at what Haley has in store for the Steelers offense this year.

The key to winning will be to bring the pressure on Manning early and often, successfully cover his receivers (doubly important as safety Ryan Clark won't be able to play, with the questionable Ryan Mundy likely to take his place) and use their own high-level passing offense to their advantage. The Steelers really could open their season with a shootout.

Week 2: vs. New York Jets

Here's to hoping that Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez hasn't lost his starting job yet, or it could be the playoffs all over again. That's not to say we won't see Tim Tebow take the field against the Steelers—I'm convinced we will—but certainly, the Steeler defense would rather feast on the predictable Sanchez than have to take on Tebow for four full quarters again.

The Jets have a lot of improving to do in the draft if they want to return to the dominant form they displayed in 2009 and 2010. I'm not entirely convinced they will fix things all that significantly, though, I do expect their run game and pass rush to get a boost this offseason.

This is the Steelers' home opener, and I think almost a guaranteed win. Of course, the Steelers shouldn't be taking the Jets—or any opponent—lightly, but I think it's fair to say that of all the teams Pittsburgh faces this year, the Week 2 New York Jets aren't close to the scariest.

Week 3: at Oakland Raiders

The AFC North faces the AFC West this year, and this is the second of those four contests for the Steelers. The Oakland Raiders are a bit of an enigma this year—they have new management and coaching staffs, but yet, just five draft picks with which to boost their ranks.

That to me says that, while it may not be a full-on rebuilding year for the Raiders, it is a regrouping of sorts. They'll likely still be looking for their rhythm and identity come Week 3, which very well could play into the Steelers' hands.

Traveling out west does take its toll, though not as much as on a West Coast team heading east. And that unpredictability of the early-season Raiders could catch the Steelers by surprise.

By all indications, the Steelers should be a better team than Oakland, but if they can't both contain their running attack, led by Darren McFadden and their speedy crew of receivers, it could be a struggle. At least the Steelers generally know what it takes to get under the skin of quarterback Carson Palmer.

Week 4: Bye Week

It's worth discussing the Steelers' bye week, simply because it happens so early in the season. Last year, they had the ideal situation for a team poised to make a run for the postseason, with a Week 11 bye. Now, they have the earliest-possible bye week, which may serve to hurt them as the season wears on.

The Steelers are an injury-prone team. From quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to the offensive line to safety Troy Polamalu, a number of Steelers players missed time last year due to injury. Those injuries, generally speaking, come after more than just three weeks of playing—they accumulate over time. A later bye week gives much-needed rest at the most opportune part of the season.

Now, the Steelers won't have time to take a breather week to heal just as the playoff race heats up. Instead, they must chug through Weeks 5 through 17 without a break and hope their core of players holds up and not many starters lose time to injury.

Out of anything the Steelers face in the first four weeks, I honestly believe this early bye is the one most dangerous to their chances to have a successful season—no matter how strange that sounds.

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