ESPN simulation picks Steelers to beat Patriots, make playoffs
ESPN ran a simulation for the entire NFL schedule - all 267 games - and found that the Pittsburgh Steelers will beat the New England Patriots and make the playoffs.
They’ll also tie a game again this season.
ESPN runs the entire NFL season simulation 20,000 times using its “Football Power Index” to help make strength ratings for every team.
They pulled one of the simulations and posted all the results and scores.
The Steelers are predicted to start the season with a win, topping the Patriots 24-21 to open the season. Week 2 has the Steelers following up with another win - beating the Seattle Seahawks at home.
The Steelers final record is 9-6-1 — yes, another tie, this time against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 in Heinz Field.
The AFC North shakes out like this, according to ESPN’s projection:
Browns: 10-6
Steelers: 9-6-1
Ravens: 9-7
Bengals: 3-13
The Browns take the division with a 10-6 record. The teams split the series.
The Black and Gold do get into the playoffs with the first Wild Card spot, but get bounced by the Houston Texans.
The simulation has the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers meeting in the Super Bowl. Saints win.
Frank Carnevale is the TribLive multimedia editor. He started at the Trib in 2016 and has been part of several news organizations, including the Providence Journal and Orlando Sentinel. He can be reached at fcarnevale@triblive.com.
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