Dissecting The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule

Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest schedule. Playing the Ravens (twice, three if you count the playoffs), the Chargers (twice if you count the playoffs), the Eagles and the Giants is not easy. Next year, the schedule seems a lot better.

Week 1, Sept. 10: vs. Tennessee — This is probably one of the toughest games of the year. The Titans obviously want to prove they're the best and Pittsburgh wants to redeem themselves after losing to Tennessee last year. The Titans (13-4) had a better record than Pittsburgh (12-4) in the regular season last year. Their only real competition in the AFC south last year were the Colts. It's true that the Titans lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs last year (Who the Steelers beat three times last year), but that was a pretty close game. The Titans had a great team last year. Kerry Collins had an amazing year, despite his age. He only had seven interceptions the entire year. I doubt they will have any trouble being a serious threat to the Steelers next year.

Week 2, Sept. 20: at Chicago — The Steelers have ten days until their next game, which is huge. The Bears just got Jay Cutler to be their new quarterback. Is it a good deal? I think so. Cutler carried the Broncos last year and went to the Pro Bowl. Check out these stats: Cutler ranked third in the NFL in passing completions (first in the AFC), second in passing attempts (first in the AFC), third in passing yards (first in the AFC) and seventh in passing touchdowns (third in the AFC). The Steelers defense (First in the league last year) is going to have to work on shutting Cutler down. If they can, the Steelers will win.

Oh, and Cutler's a total baby. Just sayin'.

Week 3, Sept. 27th, at Cincinnati — The Bengals suck. They have two Hall of Famers since when they came in the league in 1968. The Steelers only real competition in the AFC North last year were the Ravens. This game should be a lock for the Steelers. Maybe I'm being cocky, but I mean ... it's the Bengals. They've only been in the playoffs once since 1990 and they lost to the Steelers. Something is wrong with the organization and I don't see them getting any better next season. I say three years for the Bengals to get good. I looked at the 2008 draft and their draft picks don't sound very impressive. I really think Carson Palmer's gone downhill. He's nowhere close to Ben Roethlisberger. They ended last season 4-11-1. It's hard to recover from that.

Article Author: Maddy Pumilia

Maddy (Formerly CallmeMaddy) is a sophomore at Cal State Northridge. Her major is Journalism. She has a twin and loves the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Visit Maddy Pumilia's author page — Maddy Pumilia's Blog