2022 Schedule Your thoughts?

[Cali-Steeler]

This is my take, but want your thoughts on how bad this season will be?  I'm being generous with this post, because it will probably be worse.
  
   The defense should be the only fun thing to watch this year. As they may win some games for us.   9-8  is my thought with he schedule below. and we could easily lose more games.


     

[lambert5874]

I think we go 12-5 or 13-4

[mcmillenandwife]

I generally agree, although I think we could pick up wins vs. the Saints and Raiders (both home games). If I had to bet money, I'd take 8-9 or 9-8. 

Those first 6 weeks (other than the Jets) are pretty grueling on paper. 

[lambert5874]

I generally agree, although I think we could pick up wins vs. the Saints and Raiders (both home games). If I had to bet money, I'd take 8-9 or 9-8. 

Those first 6 weeks (other than the Jets) are pretty grueling on paper. 

On paper is the big word a lot of teams look good on paper but stink when the season starts look at Cleveland experts project them to win the AFC North but always blow it

[Barney]

I'm with Labert5874.. I think we go 12-5 or 13-4

I don't think we get swept by the Ravens and the Bengals, I think we split both.
I think it's more likely than not we split the Brown's win the early lose the late game with a surging serial offender at the helm of the Brown's who can stop them?
I don't think NE is that tough this year they have made some interesting choices for OC this year.
I think the Giants are beatable and I think we can show up for the Eagles game in-state rivalry.
I think we can beat the Saints just have to have Winston visit the shrimp aisle in the grocery store.

We tend to play up to more challenging teams and, I know people hate this, but play down to teams we should easily beat.

[mcmillenandwife]

I think we go 12-5 or 13-4

I'm blown away to see multiple people on the board with predictions like this. I don't even remotely see this kind of success coming from this team, although I hope you're right. 

We have 3 unproven QBs, and our offense and defense were both in the bottom third of the NFL last year. Our rushing offense was 29th, and our rushing defense was 32nd (i.e., dead LAST). 

What's the foundation of your optimism?

[Barney]

What's the foundation of your optimism?

Last year even with the last place run-d and bottom-tier running offense we still managed 9 wins.  We went 8-8 with a Mason "My Nose Glows Red at night" Rudolph and Devlin "The Duck" Hodges lead Steelers team in 2019, granted that defense had Tuit, Hayden, and Dupree. 

It's been almost 20 years since we had a season (2003) with less than 8 wins or less than 9 wins now. I've been reliably informed that the "Standard is STILL the standard" which at a minimum would indicate 9+ wins with 0 or 1 playoff victories.

But more likely than all of that is probably the Dunning-Kruger Effect:

[mcmillenandwife]

What's the foundation of your optimism?

Last year even with the last place run-d and bottom-tier running offense we still managed 9 wins.  We went 8-8 with a Mason "My Nose Glows Red at night" Rudolph and Devlin "The Duck" Hodges lead Steelers team in 2019, granted that defense had Tuit, Hayden, and Dupree. 

It's been almost 20 years since we had a season (2003) with less than 8 wins or less than 9 wins now. I've been reliably informed that the "Standard is STILL the standard" which at a minimum would indicate 9+ wins with 0 or 1 playoff victories.

But more likely than all of that is probably the Dunning-Kruger Effect:

Thank you for the informative diagram!    That's amazing. 

[Chucktownsteeler]

I am going to say somewhere between 9-8 and 11-6.

[Krunch]

QB Situation - Definitely up

Receivers /  Run Game - Good, unless Najee’s Foot hampers him

Offensive Line - Pitiful.  Didn’t we live through this before where Tomliin and the FO ignored this Albatross for way too long before finally drafting Pouncey and Decastro and building the line back to respectability?  Of course we all know the impact Munchak had as well.  

Run Defense - Not much done to improve on this glaring weakness.  Ugggg...

Coaching - Will be interesting to see Flores's impact on the Defense, time will tell.  Canada, Ugggg...  Tomlin, the Coaches Coach, Mr Good Enough Is Good Enough, Ugggg....

Bottom Line IMO,  The Offensive weapons might just score a lot of points in spite of the line. If any QB can play behind that line and not get murdalized, there is hope for a fair amount of wins.  The Defense is going to give up many points to anyone that establishes the run against them.  10-6 at best.  More likely 8-8.

2022 - Participation Trophy

[Steelers6rings]

I have no clue as what to predict. I know this is not the answer people want, but I see the Steelers going anywhere from 6-11 to 12-5. Every season has surprise teams. Last year, nobody predicted the Bengals to be the AFC Champs. That's what's great about the NFL. You can't fake it in any other sport. You can't fake 162 games or even 82 (MLB, NHL, NBA) People may disagree with this, but I think, every once in a while, you can fake 17 with a couple bounces here and there. There have been a few times where the Steelers "should" have made the playoffs and didn't and vice-versa. The experts have the Steelers finishing in last place, but they also had Cincinnati in last place, last season.