After a long day of waiting, the NFL has released the 2011 schedule. We already knew who the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers were scheduled to play, we just didn't know the specifics of how the schedule would look. And really, the sequencing of games matters quite a bit. For instance, last year the Steelers played three consecutive road games before hosting the New England Patriots. You can't convince me that the Steelers were a bit flat that night after playing away from Heinz Field for three consecutive weeks.
But that was last year. Let's see what's on tap for the 2011 season....provided there is a 2011 NFL season.
Week 1, Sunday Sept. 11: @ Baltimore Ravens
Week 2, Sunday Sept. 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 3, Sunday Sept. 25th (Sunday Night Football): @ Indianapolis Colts
Week 4, Sunday Oct. 2nd: @ Houston Texans
Week 5, Sunday Oct. 9th: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 6, Sunday Oct. 16th: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7, Sunday Oct. 23rd: @ Arizona Cardinals
Week 8, Sunday Oct. 30th: vs. New England Patriots
Week 9, Sunday Nov. 6th (Sunday Night Football): vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 10, Sunday Nov. 13th: @ Cincinnati Bengals
Week 11: BYE Week
Week 12, Sunday Nov. 27th (Sunday Night Football): @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13, Sunday Dec. 4th: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 14, Thursday Dec. 8th: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 15, Monday Dec. 19th: @ San Francisco 49ers
Week 16, Saturday Dec. 24th: vs. St. Louis Rams
Week 17, Sunday Jan. 1st: @. Cleveland Browns
Stay tuned for more commentary and analysis on this year's slate of games both here and at Behind the Steel Curtain.