Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers had an extremely disappointing end to their season. After starting out 10-3, they finished the year at 10-7, losing their final four games. Losing wasn’t their only issue, either. They looked completely discombobulated, not resembling the team they were for most of the year. Part of that could’ve been due to their brutal schedule. Down the stretch, the Steelers had to play three games in 11 days. Keeanu Benton recently spoke about how that insane that experience was.
“That was crazy,” Benton said recently on radio station 92.7 FM WCLO. “I ain’t never experienced nothing like it. It ain’t like basketball. You can play back-to-back-to-back and be all right. You just try to make adjustments to your week to take off a little bit so you can let it all out there on gameday.”
It isn’t surprising to hear how different that experience was. When the 2024 schedule was released, that was one of the biggest issues Steelers fans had. It seemed almost unsafe to force players to suit up for three games over the course of 11 days. The Steelers had to play with the cards they were dealt, though.
Unfortunately, that stretch marked the beginning of the end for the Steelers. It began with Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, who would go on to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers got crushed in that game, and things didn’t get much better after that.
Their next game came less than a week later, facing the Baltimore Ravens. Although the Steelers beat the Ravens in their first matchup, they fell short in the rematch. Again, the game wasn’t particularly close, with the Ravens dominating the Steelers for the most part.
Their final contest of that gauntlet was not any easier. Just a few days after losing to the Ravens, the Steelers had to face the Kansas City Chiefs, who would also go on to play in the Super Bowl. In the other two games, the Steelers looked competitive for a moment or two, but that was not the case against the Chiefs. It felt like the game was over by the end of the first quarter.
It felt like the Steelers never recovered from that string of games. That doesn’t mean it should be used as an excuse, though. The Ravens were in the same situation, and they won all three of their games. Granted, they played some weaker teams, but they still didn’t allow a lack of rest to hold them back.
The reality of the situation is that football is an incredibly physical game. The Steelers seemed to be worn out after that stretch. They were put in a rough situation, and they couldn’t overcome that adversity. Their schedule wasn’t the only reason they fell apart, but it didn’t help. Maybe 2025 will be more favorable for them. If it isn’t, at least they have more experience with such a condensed schedule.
