Steelers Now
In addition to a tough final November to January schedule, the Steelers are faced with an early bye week that could be a disadvantage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL released their full 17-game schedule on Wednesday. The schedule included an Ireland game, primetime matchups, and a tough closing schedule. What also stood out was the fact that the Steelers received an early bye week in week five.
Though team owner Art Rooney II indicated the Steelers didn’t ask for a bye week after week four’s Ireland game, the league provided it anyway. Logically and logistically, it made sense.
Pittsburgh could use the time to get back home and go through their week without a game to immediately prepare for. Their opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, decided to stay overseas as they will play the Cleveland Browns in London the following week. They also get a bye week after their final international contest.
However, this isn’t necessarily the trend. Take, for example, the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the two previous years, Jacksonville played a game following their international games. Additionally, they were granted a bye week later in the season.
Cleveland received the benefit of a later bye week and has a game following their week five international contest. To say a bye week following an international game is the expectation simply isn’t the case.
Instead, the Steelers will be forced to play 13 games. This includes a Thursday night game days after their first game out of the bye week. Coupled with a stretch of six playoff-contending teams in their final nine games, the Steelers probably preferred a later bye week.
If you asked head coach Mike Tomlin about it, he would probably give the same response he did in 2020: “We do not care.” His squad will likely follow suit with that mentality.
Regardless, on top of a tough closing stretch, the Steeler’s schedule has a bye week disadvantage.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Do Pittsburgh Steelers Have a Bye-Week Disadvantage?
