The NFL announced the plans for the postponed Pittsburgh Steelers game for this weekend, and its contingency went the most expected route.
The Steelers will play the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 25, three weeks to the day after the game was originally scheduled to be played before multiple Titans players and staff members tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week.
The Titans were originally scheduled for an idle date that weekend. The Steelers were supposed to play at the Baltimore Ravens. That game was moved to Nov. 1 — on the Sunday of what was originally intended to be the bye week for the Steelers and Ravens.
Schedule update pic.twitter.com/jjlS6clr8l
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) October 2, 2020
Both re-scheduled Steelers games will kick off at 1 p.m. and be broadcast by CBS, as was the plan for each of them when played on their original dates.
The switches mean the Steelers are in the midst of a stretch of four consecutive home games for the first time since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. They are scheduled to host the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 11, and the Cleveland Browns are scheduled to come to Heinz Field on Oct. 18.
Three consecutive road games against contending teams will follow, though: after the games versus returning playoff teams Tennessee and Baltimore, the Steelers are to play at the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 8.
A look back at other times the Steelers delayed games and/or had early bye weeks.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 2, 2020
Historically, it appears the Steelers have emerged better off for themhttps://t.co/JzDel7ZOBS
The Steelers are 3-0 for the first time since 2010. Tennessee is also 3-0, and Baltimore is 2-1.
After initially announcing that the Steelers-Titans game would be moved to Monday or Tuesday of next week, the NFL called it off for Week 4 entirely after a fifth Tennessee player tested positive for covid-19 on Wednesday. Two more positive tests were reported Thursday.
The Steelers-Ravens game has significant AFC North title implications. One of those two teams has won the division eight of the past 10 seasons.
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