Pittsburgh Steelers: Breaking Down 5 Toughest, 5 Easiest Games on 2015 Schedule
Every year it seems as though the Pittsburgh Steelers play to the level of their competition. That may be a positive in 2015 as Mike Tomlin’s team faces the toughest schedule in the National Football League.
According to John Breech of CBSSports.com, Pittsburgh’s opponents had a combined record of 147-102-2 for a winning percentage of .579. Of their 16 opponents, 11 finished with a winning record, and six made the playoffs—including the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.
Although a lot will change between now and the regular season, the road to the playoffs will be much tougher in 2015 than it was last season, and that's not just based on the strength of their opponents.
Facing the AFC and NFC West divisions, the Steelers will play four times outside of the Eastern time zone. As highlighted by Ian McBlogger of The Steelers N’at, Pittsburgh has struggled under Tomlin when playing teams outside of Eastern time.
Whether it is the tough slate of games on the West Coast, a matchup against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the opener or three road games in the final month of the season against divisional opponents, the Steelers will face a challenging schedule.
Tomlin has plenty of time to prepare his team for the task, so until then, we will rank Pittsburgh’s five toughest and five easiest games of the 2015 season.
5th Easiest: Versus Denver, Week 15
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Rarely when you see Peyton Manning on the schedule would you consider the opponent to be an easy matchup. He has guided some of the best offenses in recent memory and always has his team in playoff contention come the final month of the season.
However, even the all-time greats have their limits, and for Manning, late-season games have proved to be a struggle. Over the course of his career, he has struggled when playing in temperatures below 40 degrees.
In his four games last December, Manning threw for only three touchdowns while he was intercepted six times. Moreover, at 39 years old, he is prone to wear down as the season progresses.
Outside of Manning, the Denver Broncos are a team in transition, as they hired Gary Kubiak to replace John Fox as head coach. Although Kubiak seems like a good fit for Denver, he has only earned two playoff appearances while with the Houston Texans and has a winning percentage below .500 for his career.
The Steelers must take advantage of playing Manning in the cold in their home finale.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Broncos 23
5th Toughest: Versus Oakland, Week 9
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Each year the Steelers have the Oakland Raiders on their schedule, and prognosticators chalk the game up as a win for Pittsburgh. Yet, when the game is finally played, the Raiders typically have come out on top.
Oakland has won three of the past four meetings with Pittsburgh and will look to add a fourth this season. For whatever reason, the Steelers have struggled against the Raiders, blowing leads in two of their three losses.
Losing against non-playoff teams is nothing new for the Steelers. Last season, four of their five losses came against these teams, including bad losses at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints.
With so many challenging matchups on their schedule, this almost becomes a must-win game for the Steelers. It is definitely not one they can overlook. Tomlin’s teams have struggled against the Raiders and against some of the worst teams in the league.
Pittsburgh will enter this game with a clear talent advantage, but that will not guarantee a win. It will likely be a hard-fought game, but it's one that the Steelers should pull out in the end.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Raiders 24
4th Easiest: At St. Louis, Week 3
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The 2014 St. Louis Rams finished in last place in the NFC West with a 6-10 record and will enter the 2015 season with questions at quarterback.
The Rams finally gave up on Sam Bradford and will instead count on Nick Foles to try to lead them to the playoffs for the first time under head coach Jeff Fisher. Based on recent history, though, their odds of making the postseason aren’t very good.
St. Louis’ winning percentage has decreased in each of the three years under Fisher, and it has statistically been one of the worst teams in the league. Last season the Rams finished 28th in total offense and had a middle-of-the-pack defense, ranking 17th in total yards allowed.
Even if the Steelers are without Le’Veon Bell with a three-game suspension, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should be able to exploit St. Louis’ secondary. As long as they can protect Roethlisberger from the Rams’ young defensive line—including former Pitt star Aaron Donald—they should be in store for a big win.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 31, St. Louis 17
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4th Toughest: At San Diego, Week 5
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The West Coast has not been kind to Tomlin’s Steelers, as they have lost all three of their games in the Pacific time zone.
But the 2015 match against the San Diego Chargers may not carry the same travel demands as a typical trip west. This year, the Steelers have a Week 4 Thursday night game prior to their Week 5 visit to the Pacific Coast.
The extra time for preparation and travel may serve the Steelers well, but they must overcome their past struggles to pull out a win. Besides the cross-country flight, Pittsburgh will face a San Diego team that typically plays well at the start of the season.
Behind quarterback Philip Rivers, the Chargers are always a threat on a weekly basis. He is one of the top passers in the league and will look forward to outdueling Roethlisberger—a fellow 2004 first-round draft choice.
Of course, all of this could change if the Chargers trade Rivers for the chance to draft Marcus Mariota, as Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole reported. We will learn if this rumor is true soon enough, but until then, we must assume that Rivers will lead San Diego once again in 2015.
The hype between these two quarterbacks will give this a big-game feel, but the Steelers must overcome their demons when traveling west if they want to pull out a victory.
Prediction: San Diego 31, Pittsburgh 27
3rd Easiest: Versus San Francisco, Week 2
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How the mighty have fallen.
Not long ago, the San Francisco 49ers had an exciting young quarterback, a talented defense and one of the best head coaches in the NFL. The future appeared bright, and it looked as though they would be competing for titles for the foreseeable future.
Since then, Jim Harbaugh parted ways with the 49ers, Patrick Willis retired and Jim Tomsula was hired as new head coach. A franchise that looked as though it could develop into one of the best in the league now appears to be in shambles.
Not only do the Steelers get to play the 49ers when they are down, but they get them early in the season in their home opener at Heinz Field. Not only will the crowd be electric for the first home game of the year, but Tomsula will still be learning on the job.
The Steelers have won 11 of their past 12 openers, and they are set up perfectly to make it 12 of 13.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 34, San Francisco 20
3rd Toughest: At Seattle, Week 12
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Although they didn’t win it all in 2014, the Seattle Seahawks still made their second straight appearance in the Super Bowl and will be one of the favorites once again in 2015.
Russell Wilson is coming back. So is Marshawn Lynch.
Behind these two offensive stars, Seattle boasts a top rushing attack and one of the most efficient passing games in the league. It could be even better next season with the addition of Jimmy Graham to the lineup. He instantly will become a favorite target for Wilson and can help open up the passing attack.
Until it proves otherwise, Pittsburgh’s defense is susceptible to big plays on the ground and has trouble covering the top tight ends in the league. Add the fact that Seattle plays in one of the toughest stadiums in the league, and the Steelers have a tough matchup on their hands.
As it's their second trip to the West Coast, the Steelers will either add to their futility outside of the Eastern time zone or pick up a surprising victory. They do have the benefit of playing the Seahawks off a bye week, but will that be enough?
Prediction: Seattle 31, Pittsburgh 23
2nd Easiest: Versus Cleveland, Week 10
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The Steelers only have four games against teams with losing records in 2014. Two of those games will be against the Cleveland Browns.
Over the years, the Steelers have manhandled the Browns, winning 27 of the past 33 games. However, one of those blemishes came last season in an embarrassing 31-10 loss in Cleveland. Pittsburgh nearly blew the first game between the two teams, winning on a last-second field goal by Shaun Suisham.
The Steelers could face a similar fate in 2015 if they overlook the Browns, but do not expect that to happen. With such a difficult schedule, they cannot afford to underestimate any opponent and must take advantage of any mismatches they have on their schedule.
With so many questions on their roster—particularly at quarterback—the Browns will be a beatable team in 2015. The Steelers will learn from their narrow escape and loss last season and not let this game slip away.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 34, Cleveland 24
2nd Toughest: At Baltimore, Week 16
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If the season goes as planned, the NFL has a dream matchup between the Steelers and Ravens in Week 16. Just as they did last season, these two battled throughout the entire year for the AFC North title, with the Steelers coming out on top.
While the Steelers won the battle for the division crown, the Ravens won the war as they defeated Pittsburgh in the playoffs for the first time in team history. Expect this to be extra incentive for Tomlin’s team this year.
In its two losses to the Ravens last season, Pittsburgh lost by an average of 16.5 points. The game wasn’t close in their win either, as the Steelers dominated 43-23.
With neither team boasting a dominant defense, these matchups may not live up to the tough, physical, classic battles of the past. Instead, expect a more open offensive attack with the game coming down to Ben Roethlisberger vs. Joe Flacco.
With only one win in their last four games at Baltimore, the Ravens have the edge in this important game.
Prediction: Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 27
Easiest: At Cleveland, Week 17
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Nothing is more appealing for the Steelers than a late-December or an early-January matchup against the rival Cleveland Browns.
Since 2007, the Steelers have played the Browns five times after Christmas and have won all five by an average score of 25.8 to 7. It’s been pure domination for the Steelers, and they will look to continue their success in 2015.
Cleveland is a franchise that lacks direction, with a constant turnover at head coach and quarterback. Will the Browns lean on Johnny Manziel this year, or is there another option in the cards? Does this even matter?
The Browns have not made the playoffs since 2002, and that streak will likely continue, meaning that they will have nothing to play for when they face the Steelers for the second time in 2015. That is the perfect recipe for a blowout loss.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 41, Cleveland 13
Toughest: At New England, Week 1
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The New England Patriots are the Steelers’ kryptonite.
Over the years, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have dominated Pittsburgh, winning seven of the past 10 meetings. Of the Steelers' three victories, only two came against Brady, with the other against Matt Cassel.
Playing the Patriots is tough enough, but playing them in the NFL opener when they are celebrating their latest Super Bowl championship makes this game even more challenging. Add on the fact that Le’Veon Bell is suspended for this game, and winning is nearly an impossible task.
Alex Marvez of Fox Sports believes that not only will the Patriots win, but this loss will come back to haunt the Steelers come playoff time: “The Patriots will be favored. And they will likely win, which could come back to haunt Pittsburgh at season’s end when it comes to playoff tiebreakers.”
The last time the Steelers visited New England, they were embarrassed, 55-31. Do not expect that type of blowout in the season opener, but a win will be difficult to come by in what will be Pittsburgh’s toughest game of the year.
Prediction: New England 38, Pittsburgh 27
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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