5 Potential Trap Games on Pittsburgh Steelers' 2015 Schedule
One of the issues faced by the Pittsburgh Steelers last season was losing to inferior opponents. Of their five losses, four came against teams that finished the season below .500.
The dreaded trap game didn’t prevent the Steelers from winning the AFC North last season, but it possibly kept them from a first-round bye and even the conference's top seed overall.
As they face the toughest schedule in the NFL in 2015, according to CBSSports.com's John Breech, Mike Tomlin’s team cannot afford to lose any of the “easy” games.
Alex Carnevale of Football Outsiders defined a trap game “as any game against a sub-.500 opponent slotted between two games against opponents who, on the season, posted records above .500.” Given the difficulty of the Steelers’ schedule, there will not be many trap games on the schedule.
The Steelers’ opponents had a combined record of 147-102-2 for a winning percentage of .579 in 2014. Only five of their opponents finished the season without a winning record.
For that reason, the definition of a trap game will include games one week following an emotional win. Although these athletes are paid to perform each week, they are human. For instance, after a three-week stretch of impressive wins last season—including a 20-point win over the Baltimore Ravens—the Steelers fell to one of the worst teams in the NFL in the New York Jets.
Whether it was due to a lack of focus or preparation, the Steelers lost too many games they were supposed to win. A similar effort this year could result in a missed playoff appearance.
As the 2015 season gets closer, here is a chronological look at five potential trap games on the Steelers’ schedule.
Week 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers
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Not long ago, the San Francisco 49ers were an NFC power expected to compete for a Super Bowl on a yearly basis. However, a disastrous offseason has left the team in turmoil, and this should only bode well for the Steelers.
Jim Tomsula has the challenging task of replacing Jim Harbaugh as head coach, and he must do so without several of his top players.
Between losses in free agency and a rash of early retirements, San Francisco will enter the 2015 season with a depleted roster.
Besides the transition on the roster, the 49ers must also travel across the country for an early Sunday-afternoon game at Heinz Field. Even months before they play this game, the deck is stacked against San Francisco.
With that said, the Steelers lost these types of games last season.
Even though it is the home opener, the Steelers will face the 49ers a week after they face the New England Patriots in their season opener. The eyes of the nation will be on that game, and Pittsburgh will have a little extra motivation facing the Super Bowl champions—even if they are without Tom Brady.
Win or lose, there will be some emotional letdown for the next week. It will not help that Le’Veon Bell will likely still be serving his suspension.
Given these factors, as well as the “us against the world” mentality that Tomsula may employ, the Steelers' matchup against the 49ers will not be a pushover.
Expect the Steelers to win their home opener, but it is a game they are expected to win and cannot afford to overlook.
Week 3 at St. Louis Rams
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One week before they have a prime-time clash against the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers have to travel to St. Louis to face the Rams.
Coming off a 6-10 season, the Rams are a team on the rise, according to Adam Schein of NFL.com. A strong offseason should have them in position to compete for a playoff spot in the NFC.
Not only did St. Louis acquire Nick Foles from the Philadelphia Eagles, but it also used its first-round draft pick on Todd Gurley. With a new foundation on offense and already boasting one of the best defensive lines in the league, according to Football Outsiders, Jeff Fisher’s team will be a formidable opponent for the Steelers.
Aaron Donald is a disruptive force along the defensive line and could wreak havoc on Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh’s passing game. Consistent pressure will help St. Louis slow the Steelers' powerful offensive attack.
Even facing an up-and-coming defense, it will be easy for the Steelers to overlook the Rams with the Ravens looming on the schedule.
Although this is a road game, a large contingent of black and gold will help make the venue feel like Heinz Field West. St. Louis’ defense will keep the Rams in this game, but the Steelers' overall talent will be too much for them to overcome.
Week 7 at Kansas City Chiefs
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With a playoff spot on the line, the Steelers needed a forced fumble by rookie defensive end Stephon Tuitt to help preserve a victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Never an easy road game, the game against the Chiefs qualifies as a trap game because it is sandwiched between tough home games against the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals—both qualifiers for the 2014 playoffs.
Pittsburgh will have some extra motivation as Bruce Arians returns to Heinz Field in Week 6, while divisional opponents always mean more intensity as the Steelers battle the Bengals in Week 8.
No matter how one looks at it, it is hard to muster the same type of intrigue for the game against the Chiefs.
Though it isn’t explosive, Kansas City’s offense is very efficient behind Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles. However, it is also an offense expected to look for more big plays in 2015 with the addition of Jeremy Maclin and explosive rookie receiver Chris Conley.
Defensively, the Chiefs will have a strong pass rush with Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Dee Ford. Houston is proven as an elite rusher while Ford has the ability to one day join this group with his explosive first step.
In addition to the personnel that Kansas City has, Arrowhead Stadium provides one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL.
Although this is a game that the Steelers should win, playing a team that will contend for the No. 6 seed outside of the Eastern time zone will be a tough matchup.
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Week 9 vs. Oakland Raiders
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No matter their record, it is a scary situation when the Oakland Raiders appear on Pittsburgh’s schedule.
Oakland has won four of the previous five matchups even though Pittsburgh has owned the better record in each game. As hard as it is to believe, this is one obstacle that the Steelers are seemingly unable to overcome.
Regardless of their head coach, quarterback or overall talent level, the Raiders have gotten the best of the Steelers in recent years. The lone exception came in 2010 when the Pittsburgh came away with a convincing 35-3 victory.
Similar to the 2010 game, the Steelers once again get the Raiders at home for an early Sunday-afternoon game.
The cross-country travel will not help Oakland in this situation, and with the Browns on Pittsburgh’s schedule for the following week, it is not a game Tomlin’s team will overlook.
Rather than a trap game, this could be a statement game for the Steelers as they easily handle the Raiders as expected.
Week 10 vs. Cleveland Browns
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Since the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, the Steelers have won 27 of 33 matchups between them. Domination does not even begin to describe the mismatch in this series.
During this stretch, the Steelers have outscored the Browns by 339 points as their margin of victory has been by 14.7 points. However, in a rare event, Cleveland pulled out an upset win and embarrassed Pittsburgh in the process last year.
In their final matchup of the 2014 season, the Browns took it to the Steelers for a 31-10 win.
What made the loss even more stunning wasn’t just the margin of victory, but the fact that Pittsburgh was in position to move to 4-2 and build momentum for a tough stretch of games at home.
By the time these two teams meet in Week 10 of the 2015 season, no one knows who will be under center for the Browns or if they will even be in contention. There is a chance they could surprise everyone for the second straight season, but expect the Steelers to learn their lesson and not let this game slip away.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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