This Game Could Keep the Steelers From Making the Playoffs in 2020

At first blush, the Steelers' 2020 schedule doesn't look all that tough.

For a team hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, every contest looks like a trap game, yet there's one game in particular that could doom Pittsburgh next December.

The Steelers were in prime playoff positioning last season entering a Week 15 tilt against the Bills, despite featuring Duck Hodges at quarterback. In a close defeat at home, the Steelers dropped to 8-6, and proceeded to drop the final two games of the regular season to the Jets and Ravens thereafter.

Week 14 poses a familiar threat in 2020. Pittsburgh will travel to Buffalo to face a Bills team expected to compete for the AFC East crown this year. Should the Steelers be in position for a Wild Card spot at this time -- something that wouldn't shock us, given the Ravens' expected AFC North dominance -- they'll be staring down the barrel at a tough road game in Buffalo followed by two out of three contests against potential playoff contenders in Indianapolis and Cleveland.

This primetime affair is anything but a trap game, but it poses a tough challenge down the stretch, especially with the Steelers' tendency to overlook certain teams. With three of their final four games on the road, Ben Roethlisberger must make sure to keep focus on the task at hand, or else Pittsburgh could suffer the same fate as last season, even with their future Hall-of-Fame QB healthy.