Steelers
Steelers, Titans Set for 8th Game in NFL History Between 5-0 or Better Unbeaten Teams
The Steelers and Tennessee Titans will meet as a battle of unbeaten teams on Sunday, with both squads owning 5-0 records coming into the game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
It’s just the eighth time in NFL history that unbeaten teams with five or more wins will meet one another on the field, according to the Steelers public relations department. It will be the first time the Steelers are involved in such a game.
“We’ve got a significant challenge in the form of the Tennessee Titans coming up this week,” head coach Mike Tomlin said after the Steelers dominated the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to improve to 5-0. “That’s life in this game. We’re appreciative and more importantly we’re really excited. You can’t take anything for granted in this environment.”
The last time it happened was in 2015, when the 6-0 Denver Broncos faced the 6-0 Green Bay Packers. There have been five instances in the past 20 years, but there was just one from 1925 to 2005.
The last (and only) time the Steelers were 5-0 came in 1978, when they won their first seven games to start the season. That year, they faced the 2-3 New York Jets while 5-0, the 2-4 Atlanta Falcons while 6-0 and lost to the 4-3 Browns after going 7-0.
Here’s the full list of game between 5-0 or better unbeaten foes in NFL history:
2015 6-0 Denver Broncos 29, 6-0 Green Bay Packers 10
2007 8-0 New England Patriots 24, 7-0 Indianapolis Colts 20
2007 5-0 New England Patriots 48, 5-0 Dallas Cowboys 27
2004 5-0 New England Patriots 13, 5-0 New York Jets 7
1973 6-0 Minnesota Vikings 10, 6-0 Los Angeles Rams 9
1923 5-0 Canton Bulldogs 7, 5-0 Chicago Cardinals 0
1921 7-0 Akron Pros 0, Buffalo All-Americans 0
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger explains how he deals with the uncertainty each week during this strange 2020 season. His comments were made prior to his team’s game against Baltimore being moved from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.
The veteran quarterback also responded to questions about how many pass attempts he’s had each week and if it’s a concern moving forward.
There will be no fans in attendance when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in their rescheduled game at Heinz Field this Sunday, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The team had expected to host 5,500 fans at the game when it was originally expected to be held on Thursday evening, but that game was supposed to be the last with with any significant complement of fans for the time being.
On Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced an amended COVID-19 mitigation protocol that reduced the capacity for outdoor venues to a maximum of 2,500. With that limit, which includes players, staff and families, the Steelers have elected to not host any additional fans through single-game ticket sales.
“We are disappointed for those fans who had planned on attending Thursday night’s game,” team spokesman Burt Lauten said in a statement. “Our ticked office will communicate soon with those fans who purchased tickets from us regarding credits and refunds.”
The Steelers re-scheduled game with the Baltimore Ravens will kick off at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday and be broadcast nationally on NBC.
The slightly unusual schedule time will allow the game to still be broadcast nationally on NBC during the early afternoon broadcast window, so out-of-town Steelers fans will still be able to tune in.
The Steelers were originally scheduled to be broadcast on NBC on Thanksgiving, so the change will allow the network to retain the game, which is sure to be a well-viewed one with the 10-0 Steelers hosting their rivals and reigning NFL MVL Lamar Jackson.
It’s still unclear what the situation will be with fans at Heinz Field on Sunday. The Steelers had been expecting 5,500 fans for the game, but that was expected to be the last game with fans at home for the time being, as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has modified his COVID-19 mitigation plan and there is a new maximum capacity of 2,500 at the venue.
