From a fan’s perspective, the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backloaded 2024 schedule is quite daunting. This upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens is the Steelers’ first divisional game of the season, so the weightiest games of the year are coming up in the form of a gauntlet.
But the team seems to be on the same page of absolutely loving the setup for this final stretch.
“We love it. Everyone on the team, everyone in the organization loves it,” said TE Pat Freiermuth via 102.5 WDVE’s Chalk Talk with Gerry Dulac. “Because you got the six most important games on your schedule in the last eight, right? And so we know it’s playoff football starting in the second week of November, third week of November. So we’re excited. We love it. That’s the kind of culture we have in the building and the culture that Coach T. [Tomlin] preaches to us.
“We want those big-time games later in the year, and if we’re gonna hoist a Lombardi, we’re gonna have to get to it now. So we love it.”
The teams that end up winning Super Bowls get hot and peak at the right time. If the schedule was reversed and they had all of their divisional games over the first eight weeks with an “easier” end of the season, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to truly peak heading into the playoffs. Winning four out of the last five against the Cowboys, Raiders, Jets, Giants, and Commanders doesn’t have the same ring as winning against the Browns, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals.
If they can replicate their success over this final stretch, there will be no doubt that they are capable of beating any team in the league on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.
“This time of year, you want to be leaning in on five-star matchups,” Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference via the Steelers’ YouTube. “…We just want to continue to sharpen our sword for these battles to find a way to prepare ourselves and put our best foot forward and find a way to win and search for more.”
There are a lot of reasons to feel pretty good about the Steelers’ final gauntlet. The Bengals and Browns are a combined 6-13, and the Ravens’ defense is very vulnerable. The Steelers have dominated the rivalry recently, and even when Lamar Jackson has been at his best they have figured out ways to limit him.
Not to mention all of this will be documented on Hard Knocks. The players all know how big these next couple months are, and they relish the opportunity to show the world what they are capable of.
