Steelers: How the NFL's new schedule approach affects Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been a fan favorite throughout the nation and honestly, all over the Globe. And the NFL is a business. A very successful one in fact, meaning, they know who should and shouldn't be on television in prime time. So when they announced their latest changes to scheduling, Steelers fans were […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been a fan favorite throughout the nation and honestly, all over the Globe.
And the NFL is a business. A very successful one in fact, meaning, they know who should and shouldn't be on television in prime time.
So when they announced their latest changes to scheduling, Steelers fans were sure to be excited.
Firstly, the NFL announced that Monday Night Football will no longer be chained to their preseason schedule release, as they now hold the same chips as Sunday Night Football when it comes to flexing games later in the season.
From weeks 13-17, ESPN now has the ability to "flex" their Monday night matchups. That means that if a matchup features even one bad team at that point in the year, ESPN has the right to switch the game with a Sunday afternoon contest.
This is a part of the effort to end bad prime-time games, something that took the league by storm last season, with stinker after stinker seemingly flooding the airways on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights.
And that's where the Steelers come in. Not only do they historically finish above .500, but they are nearly always in the mix down the stretch, making any game a potential flex possibility and another chance to watch the black and gold on prime time.
There's also the new Thursday night rule to consider, where now teams can be subject to playing multiple early week games, and no longer is every team guaranteed a spot on prime-time television at least one time a year.
Now, this is where things become tricky, as the league is looking to also add a flex option to Thursday night games to go along with the multiple dates rule, potentially risking player safety more than ever.
The topic was broached at the most recent owner's meetings, with Steelers owner Art Rooney II holding firm in his opposition to the plan, citing safety and travel concerns for players and coaches. The subject will be tackled again amongst the owners in late May.
But here's the bottom line, if the NFL is truly looking to push the best product, chances are they will have one of their blue-blood franchises on the screen more often, making Steelers fans emphatic for the full schedule release, and potential in-season changes.
