Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 Team Analysis and Schedule

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, and they have a standard of excellence. Pittsburgh is expected to be a contender in the American Football Conference (AFC) in 2020, but they also compete in one of the best divisions in football, the AFC South. 

Ben Roethlisberger is still the quarterback of the team, and that always gives them a chance to succeed. Head coach Mike Tomlin knows how to lead, and the Steelers should once again feature one of the top defenses in the league.

The 2020 NFL regular season schedule is difficult, and it is filled with some great prime time matchups. The Steelers will be showcased throughout the regular season, and it will be up to them to see if they can live up to the hype.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 Schedule

Pittsburgh Steelers News & Picks

Pittsburgh Steelers Key Games

The 2020 regular season kicks off with a matchup against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football and concludes with a road game against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers will also host the Cincinnati Bengals for a Monday Night Football showdown in week 15.

The two biggest games on the 2020 schedule will be the games against the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have created a nice rivalry over the past decade, and it will continue this season.

It’s been 11-years since the Steelers have made a Super Bowl Odds appearance. In 2020 they’ll be focused on getting back into playoff shape. 

Last year’s history

The 2019 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers was a forgettable one, finishing the season with a record of 8-8. Pittsburgh missed out on the playoffs in the AFC and injuries played a huge role in their decline.

The team entered the 2019 season without the services of both Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, and the offense clearly took a step back. Couple that with injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and some offensive lineman, and it’s no surprise the team struggled to score points.

Defense remained stout for Pittsburgh, but they were simply unable to overcome their lack of offense. Head coach Mike Tomlin remains with the team, and the Steelers should be poised for a better season. 

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Key players

Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger played in just two games during 2019 due to injury, but he should be back and ready to go in 2020. For his career, Roethlisberger has thrown 363 touchdowns to just 191 interceptions. The hefty quarterback has completed more than 64 percent of his pass attempts in a Steelers uniform.

James Conner

Conner burst onto the scene in 2018, but injuries played a major rule in a disappointing 2019 season. He ran for just 464 yards a season ago, but that was after running for 973 yards in 2018. Conner was a touchdown machine in 2018, running for 12 touchdowns. A healthy Conner will provide a huge boost to the Steelers on offense.

TJ Watt

TJ Watt has racked up 27.5 sacks over the last two years, and he is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. The defensive anchor of the Steelers, Watt had 14.5 sacks a season ago, and could be on to even bigger and better things in 2020.

New additions (trade/FA/Draft)

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to make some improvements to their team if they were going to challenge the Baltimore Ravens in 2020. They did a decent job of adding to their team through the draft, but they were also aggressive in the free agent market.

Pittsburgh didn’t have a first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they were thinking offense with their first pick in round two. The Steelers selected wide receiver Chase Claypool from Notre Dame with their second-round pick, and he is set to make an instant impact on offense. 

Pittsburgh knew that they needed some extra help on offense, and they made a huge splash in free agency. The Steelers signed tight end Eric Ebron, and he provides another dynamic offensive playmaker for the team. 

Steelers signing TE Eric Ebron to a two-year deal worth $12M. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/ldo75bx77U

— NFL (@NFL) March 20, 2020

Guard Stefen Wisniewski was also brought in on the offensive line, and he should help keep Ben Roethlisberger healthy. Wisniewski has plenty of experience and he was the starting guard for the 2019 Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Key Subtractions

The biggest loss facing the Pittsburgh Steelers is the subtraction of nose tackle Javon Hargrave. Hargrave racked up 4.5 sacks a season ago and was a solid player on the Pittsburgh defense for the last six seasons.

Pittsburgh also cornerback Artie Burns to the Chicago Bears, and that could be a huge blow to the secondary. Burns is well past his prime, but he was a leader on the Pittsburgh defense. 

Divisional outlook

There is a clear leader in the AFC North, and it isn’t the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens finished with the best record in the AFC a season ago, and they could be even better this season.

Pittsburgh has what it takes to challenge their division rivals, but the other two teams in the division should be better as well. The Cleveland Browns have tons of talent, and the Bengals will have rookie Joe Burrow ready to lead the offense. Life in the AFC North won’t be easy for Pittsburgh. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Offense 

The Steelers had to compete without Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown last season. Brown and Bell were two of the most dominant players in their respective positions. Losing them was a major, but necessary, setback for Pittsburgh. However, as they would go on to lose Roethlisberger to injury, it’s no surprise to see how severely the Steelers’ offense struggled. 

In the end, the Steelers ranked 27th in scoring, 31st in passing, and 29th in rushing. With a healthy Roethlisberger back under center, those numbers should see some vast improvement. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense 

Defensively the Steelers fared much better in 2019. This isn’t wholly shocking as Pittsburgh is almost always a defensive minded football team. They were No. 5 overall in points allowed and ranked 3rd against the pass. Nonetheless, they struggled a bit more against the run, finishing 14th overall in the NFL. There’s no reason to expect this unit to take a step back in 2020. They will ultimately have their hands full considering they’ll have to face Lamar Jackson twice a year. 

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