Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 season preview and predictions
It is September, and that means meaningful NFL football. How will the Pittsburgh Steelers bounce back after a disappointing, drama-filled 2018 season?
In a few days, the Pittsburgh Steelers will open the 2019 schedule in Foxborough. Last season, Pittsburgh finished 9-6-1, which was good for second in the AFC North, and seventh in the AFC.
A lot has changed since then, as the Steelers will be without key personnel fans are accustomed to seeing. However, after a quiet offseason and preseason, the team has apparently rid itself of any bad taste leftover from last season’s antics.
In a previous article, I discussed the floor and ceiling for this team in 2019, but in this article, I will look at a final win-loss prediction, where that puts them in the playoff race, and what the playoffs could hold.
Previously, I said Pittsburgh’s floor is 8-8, and its ceiling is 13-3. With that being said, look for the Steelers to finish right in the middle with a record of 10-6. The losses come against the Patriots, Browns, Ravens, Jets, Rams, and Cardinals, with the loss to Arizona being the team’s annual letdown game.
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Overall the Steelers’ schedule has a lot of winnable games. The Dolphins, Cardinals, and Bengals will all be struggling teams, while the Chargers and Colts have experienced significant injuries and a very surprising retirement.
Other divisional games will be relatively evenly matched, and games against the AFC East and NFC West feature many contests against average (7-9 to 9-7) teams.
So, where does 10-6 put Pittsburgh in the division standings? After looking at the NFL schedule game by game, here is how the AFC North will turn out:
- Cleveland Browns: 10-6
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-8
- Cincinnati Bengals: 3-13
The Browns will improve on the field as they have on paper, win the tiebreaker, and force the Steelers into a wild card spot. Again, based on game by game predictions, here is what the AFC playoff picture will look like:
- New England Patriots: 11-5
- Kansas City Chiefs: 10-6
- Cleveland Browns: 10-6
- Houston Texans: 9-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6
In this scenario, the Steelers will travel to Houston to take on the Texans in the playoffs. Although the Texans are a good football team, Pittsburgh is better and will come out on top. A Chargers loss against an energized city of Cleveland will send the Steelers back to New England to visit the Patriots once again.
New England has not been a friendly place to play for the black and gold in the last 15-20 years. For that reason, Pittsburgh will lose to the Patriots in the divisional round.
In 2019, I predict regular-season success, a playoff win, and a finish that matches the start: a loss at Gillette Stadium. In my eyes, this team could surprise some people and finish closer to the 13-3 ceiling I believe it has, but it also has a lot to prove after last season.
There is also the possibility that if the road to the Super Bowl does not go through Massachusetts, the Steelers could make a deeper run.
There is a reason to believe in Pittsburgh, and it should be an entertaining, competitive season. The road to redemption starts Sunday night against the champs.
Next. Predicting the floor/ceiling for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. dark
How do you think the Steelers will do in 2019? Leave your comments below!