2024 schedule talk

[JustPlainNasty]

"It's back to spin for me: What you lose in a short week you gain in a long one. "

 

Thats not at all true. Your body with an injury or injuries and the science doesn't quite agree with you. You are more likely to injure or re-injure when your body has not recovered adequately which is why not only the Browns game on TNF is a likely injury concern but the two weeks after it are likely as well to have issues with injuries. 3 extra days rest will do a lot less positive than 3 short days is as likely to do significant damage.  You might get a player back from a previous issue with those three extra days but you are more likely to have guy laid up because of the lack of recovery and two brutal games. 

You can cross your fingers but we've seen it too many times to be that naive. 

The big question really is the depth on the D-Line. Cam & Larry O are very susceptible here and we are so unproven or perhaps proven to be mehh behind those two, losing Watts was a real bummer. 

Edited May 16 by JustPlainNasty

[warfelg]

3 minutes ago, JustPlainNasty said:

"It's back to spin for me: What you lose in a short week you gain in a long one. "

 

Thats not at all true. Your body with an injury or injuries and the science doesn't quite agree with you. You are more likely to injure or re-injure when your body has not recovered adequately which is why not only the Browns game on TNF is a likely injury concern but the two weeks after it are likely as well to have issues with injuries. 3 extra days rest will do a lot less positive than 3 short days is as likely to do significant damage.  You might get a player back from a previous issue with those three extra days but you are more likely to have guy laid up because of the lack of recovery and two brutal games. 

You can cross your fingers but we've seen it too many times to be that naive. 

Yup. And just about every player says they look at only a few things with the schedule: where’s the bye week, where’s the short weeks, what’s the travel look like.

[Dcash4]

14 minutes ago, JustPlainNasty said:

Your body with an injury or injuries and the science doesn't quite agree with you. You are more likely to injure or re-injure when your body has not recovered adequately which is why not only the Browns game on TNF is a likely injury concern but the two weeks after it are likely as well to have issues with injuries. 3 extra days rest will do a lot less positive than 3 short days is as likely to do significant damage.  You might get a player back from a previous issue with those three extra days but you are more likely to have guy laid up because of the lack of recovery and two brutal games. 

Not arguing about the inherent risk of Thursday night games, but everyone has to play them. So to have ours be a team that's two hours away that we face twice a year that gives us 10 days rest afterwards? There's far worse things in life.

Does it suck to play again on Wednesday against the Chiefs? Sure! But it's also great going into a week 18 game that will likely mean something big for us 11 days to prepare for a team.

[jebrick]

i read an article on 5 teams that are screwed by the schedule.  In order 1. Jets 2. Steelers 3. 49ers, 4. KC, 5. Cardinals. 

 

The 1st 4 teams are popular so they get either the short week(Jets, KC and Steelers) or playing teams coming off their bye weeks(49ers).  The Cards are in there for the back and forth travel to the east coast.

[JustPlainNasty]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

Not arguing about the inherent risk of Thursday night games, but everyone has to play them. So to have ours be a team that's two hours away that we face twice a year that gives us 10 days rest afterwards? There's far worse things in life.

Does it suck to play again on Wednesday against the Chiefs? Sure! But it's also great going into a week 18 game that will likely mean something big for us 11 days to prepare for a team.

Few teams play two short weeks (4 days), and it only makes sense that you don't want the situation to be following a physical team/game. Michael Lombardi talked about that on Mcafee before the schedule was released as what is his & GMs main concerns or things to look for on the schedule. The NFL all games are tough but anyone that has watched the NFL for the last 5-10-15 years when asked what is the most physical matchup / rivalry will tell you its Baltimore / Pittsburgh. Not only do we follow them once on a short week but we do it twice..followed by what many could easily argue would be the second most physical heated matchup regardless of Clevelands record. 

It is what it is , but it is not remotely ideal. I bet a good amount of money on the Steelers wins over last year and won by the skin of my teeth and it should've been so much easier. This is an improved team overall, but Im nowhere near comfortable saying it is ready for "primetime".  I would not entertain those same bets at all. What Id be looking for is if they open up the first half with a good record Id be looking at the odds against making the playoffs and win totals going into the second half. I hope they surprise me/us all .. I worry less about the WR position than most seem to, than I do about the reality of what we have at the corner position and the D-line depth. Right now the QB position is about an even effect for me on games and win/loss consideration, slight negative until we see some regular season execution. Also, every year our Oline has struggled to gel under Meyer for a crazy amount of games, usually about 8 which conveniently is the last week of first half. We are introducing two new pieces to that formula as well. Hope Arthur Smith gets that stuff tightened up.

Edited May 16 by JustPlainNasty

[Dcash4]

12 minutes ago, JustPlainNasty said:

but it is not remotely ideal

My point has largely been that I just don't think there is an ideal. The teams we play are who they are. And that's what I have meant by spin, not something about Thursdays being "good" because you get rest. I think you can find good reasons to hate this schedule just as I think you can find ways to see the benefits. But what you can't change is that we play a really, really tough set of teams. 

Scheduling is all give and take. I'd rather not trade our Thursday in Cleveland for one in Denver. I'd rather play Atlanta early before they gel than the Ravens in week 2 when that games tough regardless of timing. I'd rather have a better shot at KC coming to Pittsburgh on short rest on Christmas than playing them in week 4 on full rest. 

We have faced backup QBs in 11 in November or later games the last two years. We likely don't get that luxury this year. If this team can't get out of the gate fast, we are in trouble. But honestly, I welcome that trouble. This team needs to make sure it knows it's future direction and I think this seasons going to be a very useful gauge. 

[MOSteelers56]

Looks like, so far, we're only favored in 6 games this year. Brutal. This could be the year Tomlin's streak comes to an end. 

[JustPlainNasty]

2 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

My point has largely been that I just don't think there is an ideal. The teams we play are who they are. And that's what I have meant by spin, not something about Thursdays being "good" because you get rest. I think you can find good reasons to hate this schedule just as I think you can find ways to see the benefits. But what you can't change is that we play a really, really tough set of teams. 

Scheduling is all give and take. I'd rather not trade our Thursday in Cleveland for one in Denver. I'd rather play Atlanta early before they gel than the Ravens in week 2 when that games tough regardless of timing. I'd rather have a better shot at KC coming to Pittsburgh on short rest on Christmas than playing them in week 4 on full rest. 

We have faced backup QBs in 11 in November or later games the last two years. We likely don't get that luxury this year. If this team can't get out of the gate fast, we are in trouble. But honestly, I welcome that trouble. This team needs to make sure it knows it's future direction and I think this seasons going to be a very useful gauge. 

You got your glass half full.

If you had us playing NYG the sunday before we goto Cleveland and Indy the 4 days before we play the chiefs . I would be like ok thats what we got. 
 

it was THE toughest schedule and 3rd toughest schedule by the commonly used metrics. The one that suggest its the toughest takes into account a lot more factors than the old way which is just based off last years results. 
 

the factors added in of how they manipulated that schedule only made it that much tougher . Youre basically suggesting that running up a 15 % incline is the same as running on a flat surface. It’s all good. They have to play them, we can ***** more about it after they do. The washington game is a big pothole that we’ll probably be too busy looking at the scenery coming up to notice, just my opinion. 
 

maybe im totally wrong. We gotta drink that glass either way. 

[Dcash4]

43 minutes ago, JustPlainNasty said:

The washington game is a big pothole that we’ll probably be too busy looking at the scenery coming up to notice, just my opinion. 

And while it's potentially true, it also has nothing to do with the schedule. I am sure you would say the same things about the Giants game days before a huge rival and divisional foe in Cleveland like the scenario you laid out. 

It's 15% incline at the end of the season, but I also think we start on a 15% decline at the start. I actually think the Chiefs on Christmas and the Cowboys on SNF help our chances against two of the better teams on our schedule. 

We have known that we were going to have one of the toughest schedule since the season ended and the opponents were set. Pick names out of a hat, play them all at home at 1:00 PM on sundays and this would STILL be a hard schedule. 

[JustPlainNasty]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

And while it's potentially true, it also has nothing to do with the schedule. I am sure you would say the same things about the Giants game days before a huge rival and divisional foe in Cleveland like the scenario you laid out. 

It's 15% incline at the end of the season, but I also think we start on a 15% decline at the start. I actually think the Chiefs on Christmas and the Cowboys on SNF help our chances against two of the better teams on our schedule. 

We have known that we were going to have one of the toughest schedule since the season ended and the opponents were set. Pick names out of a hat, play them all at home at 1:00 PM on sundays and this would STILL be a hard schedule. 

I dont think playing Atlanta on the road is remotely easy or easier than playing them in week 8,  were in the same boat new OC two qb thats dont have a clue 2 rookie Olineman (we hope) under an oline coach that seems to take half the season for his guys to figure out what he wants and one WR thats played with the team, Austin barely counts when he does play and if he even makes the team. Its not a 15% decline , no part of our schedule is and on top of that this team/HC have shown a propensity to help out the other team when there is a perceived "decline"

Playing them all at home at 1pm on sunday is like running on a flat surface.  

You go for it on 4th and 2 or less every time even from your own 20 in the second quarter because there is no difference.  I get it. 

Any way, we just agree to disagree.

[warfelg]

2 minutes ago, JustPlainNasty said:

I dont think playing Atlanta on the road is remotely easy or easier than playing them in week 8

Not only that we’re the underdog as of right now. Unless Kahn makes a big trade and a few other small potential moves that won’t really change. 

[Dcash4]

1 hour ago, JustPlainNasty said:

I dont think playing Atlanta on the road is remotely easy or easier than playing them in week 8,  were in the same boat new OC two qb thats dont have a clue

I don’t know man, I don’t see us in the same boat at all. They have a new HC, a new QB coming off an injury that keeps him from practicing fully, and a first time playcaller on offense (and defense, but I imagine Morris is calling the shots, though…also new to that role on the team). We have an established OC, a healthy starting QB, and 18 year HC Mike Tomlin with the same DC whose been with the team for the last 6 years. Those things matter hugely. 

If we can’t win week 1 against a team that will largely be trying to figure it all out…man, we got bigger problems than when our Thursday night games are scheduled... same playing a team like the Broncos in week 2 or the chargers in 3. 

and I gotta tell ya, if you think there’s no difference in the week that we play them then there’s no point arguing how bad this schedule is because of the way it’s arranged. It’s the teams only at that point and there’s nothing we can do about that. 

[JustPlainNasty]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

I don’t know man, I don’t see us in the same boat at all. They have a new HC, a new QB coming off an injury that keeps him from practicing fully, and a first time playcaller on offense (and defense, but I imagine Morris is calling the shots, though…also new to that role on the team). We have an established OC, a healthy starting QB, and 18 year HC Mike Tomlin with the same DC whose been with the team for the last 6 years. Those things matter hugely. 

If we can’t win week 1 against a team that will largely be trying to figure it all out…man, we got bigger problems than when our Thursday night games are scheduled... same playing a team like the Broncos in week 2 or the chargers in 3. 

and I gotta tell ya, if you think there’s no difference in the week that we play them then there’s no point arguing how bad this schedule is because of the way it’s arranged. It’s the teams only at that point and there’s nothing we can do about that. 

You go back n forth yourself .   Matters when we play non playoff teams Atlanta and Denver but it doesn't matter when we play 8 playoff teams. Make up your mind. I didn't and Im not saying it doesn't matter at all , but we will be going through many changes with more questionable talent at the main position to start the season. I have little doubt , basically no doubt that Kirk will be ready to play at a high level as long as his body is healed up and ready to go.  If we have to worry about when the 5th selected rookie QB is playing us then we have bigger issues then we are even remotely considering. Nix is an ok prospect but I wouldn't lose sleep about playing him if it was week 17 or week 1. 

Edited May 17 by JustPlainNasty

[Dcash4]

1 hour ago, JustPlainNasty said:

Make up your mind

Make up my mind on what? That good teams will be good no matter when we play them? I haven’t wavered on anything. It doesn’t matter what week we play the chiefs, the ravens, the bengals, or the browns. Those WILL be tough games. 

It CAN matter that you catch teams early in the season when they have massive transitions, specifically at key areas. Again, great you think Kirk will be 100%… new HC, OC, and DC! That matters!! First time play calling OC Vs 6th year Arthur Smith. Morris calling defense with dudes he just met Vs Tomlin/austin with Watt, Minkah, Highsmith, cam, JPJ.  I’ll take that all day in week 1. 

What would you rather do, switch a more established teams like the Eagles to open the season? Then get a Falcons team with 14 weeks under their belt? Sounds like a better way to lose two games that it does to improve our schedule.

 

 

[warfelg]

https://x.com/sharpfootball/status/1791117849156534727?s=46&t=xd5QJpZuXv2k7qD0xqd6aA
 

First time in NFL scheduling since realignment all 6 division games are are after week 11.