The Steelers had a disastrous season last year although they did finish 8-8 and just one game shy of the playoffs. They started off the season on a horrible note by getting crushed 33-3 to the Patriots and then losing their starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, for the rest of the season after he suffered an elbow injury in week two. The Steelers would go back and forth between Mason Rudolph and Devlin (Duck) Hodges at quarterback but neither was good enough to really carry this team. It was truly the defense that led this team to eight wins. The defense was led by free safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was acquired in a trade from the Dolphins after week two for a first round pick in 2020. It seemed to be a very good trade for the Steelers because they got an amazing player in Fitzpatrick (5 interceptions, 9 passes deflected, and 1 forced fumble in 14 games) and they started to win so the draft pick they traded wasn't as valuable. The Steelers are looking to have a bounce back season now that Roethlisberger is healthy and their defense is very strong. Below is my regular season prediction for the Steelers.
Week 1: @ New York Giants - win Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos - win Week 3: vs. Houston Texans - loss Week 4: @ Tennessee Titans - loss Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles - win Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns - win Week 7: @ Baltimore Ravens - loss Week 8: Bye Week Week 9: @ Dallas Cowboys - loss Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals - win Week 11: @ Jacksonville Jaguars - win Week 12: vs. Baltimore Ravens - win Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins - win Week 14: @ Buffalo Bills - loss Week 15: @ Cincinnati Bengals - win Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts - win Week 17: @ Cleveland Browns - loss
I think the Steelers will in fact bounce back this year and finish 10-6. This record should be enough to earn them a wild card spot but we will have to wait until the entire AFC is finished to make sure of this. One very interesting game on the Steelers' schedule is the week 14 matchup in Buffalo. It will be fun to watch to of the top defenses in the league square off in Buffalo where there is always a chance of whether interfering. The under in this one should be a lock. I think the Bills will win in a very low scoring game. Another fun game should be in week five when the Steelers host their Pennsylvania rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. I think the Steelers defense will be all over Carson Wentz and that Eagles offense so I don't think this should be too hard of a victory for the Steelers. Lastly, I'm very excited to watch the Steelers and Ravens divisional matchup on Thanksgiving night. I like a big upset in this one as the Steelers slightly edge the Ravens at home.
*At the end of this series, once I have gone through every team, I will give my playoff predictions as well as season awards.*
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