Steelers Stretch Run Suddenly Looking Easier

It all stared last week when Indianapolis Quarterback Andrew Luck was diagnosed with an internal injury that will sideline him from anywhere from two to six weeks. It continued yesterday when the Steelers made Cleveland look worse than they actually might be. Then Seattle lost at home to a team the Steelers have already beaten.

Rival Baltimore lost to Jacksonville at home, then perhaps the biggest newsworthy event for the Steelers happened – Peyton Manning was benched.

Why does any of this matter to the Steelers? Because all of these events impact the Steelers going forward after the bye. Let’s take a look at how things could play out over the final six games.

Seattle – The Seahawks are now 4-5 on the season and are three full games behind the Cardinals who lead the NFC West. Seattle is a shell of what it once was in terms of defense and now quarterback Russell Wilson is getting hit at a record pace. Although they’ll be at home, this game doesn’t look nearly as tough as it did in August.

Indianapolis – The Colts “lead” the AFC South with a 4-5 record and have struggled all season. No one has struggled more than Luck and one could argue that backup Matt Hasselbeck has actually been better in the games he’s played in. With the Colts coming to Heinz Field, this should be a victory for the black and gold.

Cincinnati – The Steelers will go to the Queen City looking for revenge and they’ll have history on their side. Pittsburgh typically plays well there due in large part to the massive presence of the Steelers’ Nation. Whether this game matters in terms of the division really won’t matter. The fact that it’s an AFC game will actually carry more significance for the playoffs.

Denver – The Broncos have lost two in a row and appear to be a mess. It was reported this morning that Peyton Manning has an injury to his foot which may be a silver lining for them because he has been bad all season. This past Sunday he was benched in favor of Brock Osweiler in the third quarter. Manning isn’t the only problem though. The Broncos’ defense has suddenly shown chinks in the armor as well. Much like Seattle, this game doesn’t look as daunting as it once did.

Baltimore – Look, it’s always a tough game at their place but the Ravens are already looking towards next season. When the Ravens won back in September, Ben Roethlisberger was missing the first of his four games. If Ben plays in the re-match this should be a certain victory.

Cleveland – See yesterday.

The National Football League is as fluid as it gets. Things change from one week to the next quite a bit but from where things sit as of today, the final six games for the Steelers might not be as difficult.