Twice the Steelers have played the NFL’s Kickoff Game after winning Super Bowls. This year they get to see how the other half lives.
The Steelers will open the season at the New England Patriots Sept. 10, a Thursday night game with all the gala and concerts that usher in the NFL regular season and help celebrate the reigning Super Bowl champs.
The matchup comes 13 years after the Steelers opened the 2002 season at New England, which had won the previous Super Bowl after upsetting the Steelers in the AFC championship game at Heinz Field. However, that came before the NFL devised the Kickoff opener for the champs and the Steelers and Patriots played the last game on that opening weekend of 2002, on Monday night.
It will be a duel of two of the best quarterbacks in the league, Tom Brady vs. Ben Roethlisberger, but will be absent a sub-drama because halfbacks Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, former teammates with the Steelers, will be suspended for their marijuana joy ride last August in Ross that resulted in their arrests.
(Click image for larger version)
The Steelers’ Bell, who led the AFC in rushing, was given a three-game suspension by the NFL. Blount, released by the Steelers last November in time for him to contribute to New England’s Super Bowl run, was suspended for the opener.
After opening at New England, the Steelers return to Heinz Field for their home opener Sept. 20 against San Francisco at 1 p.m.
They play only one AFC North Division foe before November when Baltimore comes to Heinz Field for a Thursday night game Oct. 1. Both of their games against the Ravens, their biggest rivals, will be broadcast in prime time. They play at Baltimore Sunday night Dec. 27.
The NFL scheduled the maximum five prime time games for the Steelers, which has become the norm for them. They play three in prime time in their first five games. The league did not fulfill the Steelers request to play their two West Coast games on consecutive weekends so they could stay out there. They play at San Diego on Monday Oct. 12 and at Seattle Nov. 29.
Their off or bye week occurs in the 11th week of the regular season, Nov. 22, one day earlier than it did in 2014 when they had their latest bye week ever in the 12th week of the regular season.
The Steelers play three consecutive Sunday home games at 1 p.m. in November, but pay for it by playing at three of their AFC North Division rivals in their final four games. They wind up the regular season at Baltimore and Cleveland after playing a Dec. 13 game at Cincinnati.
First Published: April 21, 2015, 9:34 p.m.
Updated: April 22, 2015, 12:12 a.m.
