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 attempting 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 could possibly be sillier than tales surrounding the NFL schedule launch.
Very like free company and the NFL Draft, the schedule launch has its personal aura of anticipation. Not like the opposite two, we already know most of what’s going to occur earlier than the complete 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 will be stated without spending a dime company, when gamers are nonetheless negotiating with their present staff however varied writers clickbait headlines a few star shifting to Workforce Y, solely to see them re-sign with Workforce X.
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Nevertheless, 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 saying new worldwide sport websites. The NFL then releases smidges of knowledge, however not for each staff.
The perfect half is when somebody leaks the schedule a day or two prematurely, for us to seek out out on Wednesday at 8 pm Jap that the complete leak was unsuitable. Hell, a few of the leaks contradict each other, which makes it much more phony to consider. But, followers will overreact and consider its true.
Proper now I’m staring down the gun of a handful of Kansas Metropolis Chiefs bulletins – some verified as a result 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 sport having been leaked, as new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith travels with the staff to face his former employer, the Atlanta Falcons.
The opposite sizzling rumor surrounding the Steelers is a Christmas Day sport, which is already being constructed up as a brand new unique streaming partnership between the NFL and Netflix. The smoke round this fireplace is probably going true, as Netflix will demand the most important viewers doable for his or her $150 million-per-game deal.
What viewers is larger than Steelers Nation for TV scores? Not many.
Then there’s the lunacy of “they play who and the place?” Properly, that a lot was already determined with how the NFL schedule is calculated every season. The truth is, we knew all however two or three of the opponents earlier than the 2023 season kicked off, for the reason that 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 sport at residence 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 frequent for the Steelers, Bengals, Browns, and Ravens every season.
That includes 14 of the 17 video games on the schedule. The three remaining video games are crammed by discovering the frequent end opponent within the different two AFC divisions the North isn’t already enjoying. (The AFC East and AFC South, represented by the Jets and Colts respectively.) The ultimate sport is rotated between residence and away every season, towards an total frequent 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 accessible 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 meal time up through the holidays. Keep tuned!
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