Welcome to my weekly version of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation” a weekly column the place I poke enjoyable at followers, reporters, and so-called specialists whereas making an attempt to determine if a few of these sizzling takes are actual – or simply for consideration.
I are inclined to poke enjoyable at numerous offseason information, however none might be sillier than tales surrounding the NFL schedule launch.
Very similar to free company and the NFL Draft, the schedule launch has its personal aura of anticipation. In contrast to the opposite two, we already know most of what’s going to occur earlier than the total calendar is introduced.
I do know I’ve given my two cents on mock drafts and the way nonsensical that may be. (Particularly when the season isn’t over but.) The identical could be mentioned totally free company, when gamers are nonetheless negotiating with their present group however numerous writers clickbait headlines a few star transferring to Workforce Y, solely to see them re-sign with Workforce X.
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Nonetheless, the NFL schedule launch could now be on a stage of ridiculousness that supersedes the entire different clickbait all through the offseason. The league has perpetuated this madness by handing out breadcrumbs all through the method, first asserting new worldwide recreation websites. The NFL then releases smidges of knowledge, however not for each group.
The perfect half is when somebody leaks the schedule a day or two upfront, for us to search out out on Wednesday at 8 pm Jap that your complete leak was fallacious. Hell, among the leaks contradict each other, which makes it much more phony to imagine. But, followers will overreact and imagine its true.
Proper now I’m staring down the gun of a handful of Kansas Metropolis Chiefs bulletins – some verified on account of being posted by the groups or the league, and others which might be rumors.
The Steelers aren’t immune from this nonsense, with their Week 1 recreation having been leaked, as new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith travels with the group to face his former employer, the Atlanta Falcons.
The opposite sizzling rumor surrounding the Steelers is a Christmas Day recreation, which is already being constructed up as a brand new unique streaming partnership between the NFL and Netflix. The smoke round this hearth is probably going true, as Netflix will demand the largest viewers attainable for his or her $150 million-per-game deal.
What viewers is greater than Steelers Nation for TV rankings? Not many.
Then there’s the lunacy of “they play who and the place?” Effectively, that a lot was already determined with how the NFL schedule is calculated every season. In reality, we knew all however two or three of the opponents earlier than the 2023 season kicked off, because the league is on a rotating schedule. The Steelers will at all times play six video games towards their division opponents, the Bengals, Browns, Ravens. They play these opponents twice every, with one recreation at house and the opposite away.
The AFC North then challenges two different divisions in full: one from the AFC (AFC West) and one from the NFC (NFC East). These the 4 opponents from every division (eight video games) are widespread for the Steelers, Bengals, Browns, and Ravens every season.
That contains 14 of the 17 video games on the schedule. The three remaining video games are stuffed by discovering the widespread end opponent within the different two AFC divisions the North isn’t already taking part in. (The AFC East and AFC South, represented by the Jets and Colts respectively.) The ultimate recreation is rotated between house and away every season, towards an general widespread end opponent from the NFC. (This season would be the Atlanta Falcons.)
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The one query marks remaining are when these groups will face one another. With the slew of primetime choices out there on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and now Friday or Saturday nights within the winter, the eagerness of followers who wish to make plans to attend these video games is at a fever pitch.
Lengthy gone are the tried-and-true Sunday 1 pm ET kickoffs of yesteryear, so these of us that plan our weekends within the fall across the NFL schedule are patiently ready to see if we’ll have some fair-weather video games in addition to if we have to bump time for dinner up throughout the holidays. Keep tuned!