The Steelers' game against the Titans has been canceled by the NFL -- at least for now -- due to a coronavirus outbreak on the Tennessee side, meaning the Steelers will face the Titans at a later point this season and will use Week 4 as their bye week.
But it also raises a number of other questions about the remainder of the schedule. We'll try to answer some of those here.
WHAT'S THE SIMPLE SOLUTION?
The idea that has been floated that makes the most sense is to play this game in Week 7, when the Titans were scheduled to have their bye week. The Steelers are scheduled to travel to Baltimore in Week 7, but the original bye week for both teams is Week 8.
Obviously, those bye weeks for the Steelers and Titans are now Week 4. The Steelers' game against the Ravens could be moved to Week 8, giving the Ravens a bye in Week 7. That would allow the Steelers and Titans to play in Week 7.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE TABLE?
Sure. The league has made contingency plans that could allow for the Super Bowl to be pushed back by as many as a few weeks to allow teams to complete their 16-game schedule.
Let's say, for example, the Titans continue to have players test positive, even into next week. That would put their Week 5 game, against the Bills at Nissan Stadium, in jeopardy, as well.
Since Tennessee's bye week would have already been used up, the NFL would have a few choices. It could tack the additional games onto the end of its regular season schedule. It could simply not play the game. Or, it could declare one or more of the Titans' game forfeits.
The last of those is not something the NFL wants to do. In fact, it's the least likely. While it's easy for Steelers fans to say they would take a forfeit, what happens, for example, if a playoff spot between the Steelers and Bills is decided because one had to play the Titans -- and lost -- and the other received a forfeit?
Mike Tomlin, who sits on the NFL Competition Committee, said the league has conversations regarding the possibility of teams not playing a full schedule.
"I'm not aware of any developing plans," Tomlin said. "I know we had hypothetical conversations over the summer for such an event, and so we have things in place in terms of playoff pairings if we move in that direction. But I think it's everybody's hope that doesn't come to fruition."
SO NOW WHAT?
The Steelers players are off until Monday. But per the rules put in place by the NFL and agreed to by the NFLPA to make sure this season happens, they still have to be tested daily.
That means they can't leave the area -- a situation that was going to be in place no matter when the bye week occurred.
So, the Steelers will return to the UPMC-Rooney Sports Complex Monday to begin preparing to host the Eagles next week. This means that for the first time since the 1970 NFL merger, they'll also play four consecutive home games, with the Browns coming to Heinz Field after the Eagles.
As an added bonus -- or at least a silver lining -- it would seem to help get wide receiver Diontae Johnson back on the field.
Johnson suffered a concussion last Sunday against the Texans and was in the league protocol. He stands a much better chance of playing in Week 5 than he did Week 4 -- though he might have been cleared in time to play the Titans.
The Steelers also get a week without a game to help get fullback Derek Watt (hamstring), safety Marcus Allen (foot) and even offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski (chest, IR) back without missing a game. Wisniewski can return from IR after three weeks and Monday will mark the three-week mark for him, though he still needs a little more time.
WHY IS THE LEAGUE INTENT ON PLAYING?
Money. We all saw the doomsday projections of what the salary cap might look like this season. Those projections were made to account for the league having no fans in the stadium.
We've seen fans start to be allowed in some stadiums across the league. And there's some hope from the Steelers that they could join that group soon -- possibly as soon as when they host the Eagles next weekend.
But the projections didn't include the league having each team play less than 16 games. If that starts to happen, it really starts to take a bite into the bottom line, though the 2021 salary cap floor has already been set at $175 million.
Every game that is played, especially those with fans in the seats, increases the salary cap projections for 2021.
IS A WEEK 4 BYE A BIG DEAL?
Not really. The Steelers have done it before, as recently as 2012. In fact, since the NFL began using byes in 1990, the Steelers have had their bye week in Week 4 or earlier eight times previously.
They also had a Week 4 by in 2005, 2006 and 1996. They had Week 3 byes in 2002, 2001 and 1997. They had a Week 2 bye in 2000.
In each of those seasons, things have worked out pretty well for them. In those eight seasons, they have averaged just over 10 wins, going to the playoffs five times and the Super Bowl twice in those years.
In 2001, the entire NFL was canceled in Week 2 because of the 9/11, pushing it back a week. So, essentially, the Steelers had a two-week bye and then played 15 consecutive games. They went 13-3.
So, this really isn't that big of a deal -- assuming they stay healthy and don't have a COVID outbreak of their own.
