2008 Schedule Reveals Tough Test
for NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers

by Matthew M. DeSilva

The Pittsburgh Steelers were handed the National Football League’s toughest road to Super Bowl glory when their 2008 schedule was released on April 15, 2008.

Winners of the AFC North division in 2007, the Steelers will play three notable games against the three other 2007 AFC division winners. Three out of their five November games will be against the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers at home and the New England Patriots in New England.

The Steelers will be involved in many physical games this season, especially since they play the “black and blue” NFC East division. Two of these games, the New York Giants at home and at Washington against the Redskins, come immediately before the aforementioned November onslaught of former AFC division champs.

Three high-profile games most likely to make or break Pittsburgh’s season come on the road. Sunday, September 14 at Cleveland, Sunday, October 5 at Jacksonville, and Monday, November 3 at Washington will be under the Prime Time lights.

While the Steelers have a good shot against the Browns and Redskins, the Jaguars have given Pittsburgh fits in recent years. The Jacksonville game will be pivotal in determining whether the Steelers belong in the 2008 AFC playoff picture.

The Steelers should be able to come out of their games with the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles with wins. They stand a good chance at either splitting or sweeping their division games with the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.

Where Pittsburgh may have trouble is getting past the nine 2007 playoff teams.

Expect their games with the Chargers, Patriots, Colts, Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Redskins and Giants to be close. If the Steelers can win a majority of these games and win their division, they have a good shot at the playoffs. If they falter against the elite NFL teams, they'll have a tough time securing even a Wild Card position.

Even if they do well with the physical games outside of their division, the Steelers face a tough test in contending with an improved Cleveland Browns team.

After dealing with road games in Weeks 15 and 16 at Baltimore and Tennessee, Pittsburgh closes its season against the Browns at home on December 28. This game could very well determine whether the Steelers make the playoffs or spend January at home.

The 2008 schedule will be a severe test for one of the NFL’s perennial playoff teams. Combine a tough division schedule with playing two divisions that each sent three teams to the playoffs in 2007, the AFC South and the NFC East, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be hard-pressed to make a repeat of their 2007 division crown.