Pittsburgh Steelers: Where Will the Reigning AFC Champions Finish in 2011?

Every year before the NFL season begins, I predict each of the 256 games on the NFL schedule, and from those predictions I come up with the records each of the 32 teams would have if the season progressed as I predicted. Invariably some of my predictions are WAY off, but it’s usually not the ones people criticize me for in early September.

So where did my predictions land the Pittsburgh Steelers?

It shouldn't surprise anyone that I have them splitting the season series with the Baltimore Ravens.

When they visit the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, a potentially tough task becomes a game which the Steelers SHOULD win, given the potential absence of Peyton Manning, who will still be in preseason mode even if he is able to take the helm for the Colts in that game.

Visiting Arizona might be a challenge, but I'll still predict that the Steelers are up for the task.

In fact, after having lost in Week 1 to the Ravens, their next loss likely won't come until they visit Kansas City in Week 12...though even that outcome could go in the direction of the Steelers, given that they'll be coming off of a bye week.

While I have Pittsburgh beating the Bengals twice, I do think they'll slip up against divisional foe Cleveland once this season—an inexplicable outcome which almost always shows up on each team's schedule.

Unfortunately, because of tie-breakers, a record of 13-3 isn't enough to put the Steelers into the playoffs, with the Baltimore Ravens winning the division, the New York Jets winning the AFC East and the New England Patriots holding tie breakers over the Steelers to put Tom Brady into the playoffs instead of Ben Roethlisberger.

Typically the team which loses the Super Bowl has issues the following year, and although a record which includes only three losses doesn't seem like a disappointment, missing out on the postseason will be.

To see more information on how the entire league shakes out, check out my summary article and share your thoughts on my preseason predictions sure to go wrong.

As the season progresses into Week 2, GuysNation will pick up with our wildly popular weekly Dueling Predictions articles where a few football fans get together to give our perspective on each of the games for that given week.