Connelly: Steelers’ opener really a must-win game?

Is this what the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has become?

Driving through the city on my way to a Pirates game last week, I turned on local sports talk radio. It’s something I like to do when I’m in town to get a true ‘sports pulse’ of the city .

What are people talking about? What’s the vibe of the conversation? Which team’s getting the most air time?

Even with the St. Louis Cardinals in town for a series with possible playoff implications, the Steelers were still the top story — so at least we know the sky hasn’t fallen yet.

However, the nature of the topic is what surprised me the most.

The question being asked was whether or not Sunday’s Week 1 game against the Cleveland Browns is a must-win for the Steelers?

Really? That’s the burning question in Pittsburgh 10 days before the season kicks off?

No offense to the Browns (really, I actually like what they’ve done on defense and if they can get a franchise quarterback they could be pretty good), but when did a opening week game against a long-time division doormat become a must-win game?

Then I really thought about the question, and my answer is a resounding yes.

Anyone remember last year’s season opener?

The Tennessee Titans take a safety on the opening kickoff, but the Steelers fail to score until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and lose a game they had no business losing.

Then everyone knows what happened next.

The Steelers’ schedule does not allow for a slow start again this season.

In fact, the first six games are all winnable, especially since the Ravens will be without Ray Rice.

It’s the last five games coming out of a Week 12 bye that should be worrisome.

The other concern going into the season should be the rut in which the Steelers find themselves.

The NFL is designed to help teams go from worst to first — not middle to first. And that’s where the Steelers have ended each of the last two seasons. Right in the middle at 8-8.

History shows that Pittsburgh hasn’t done a very good job of turning average teams into playoff contenders, too.

The best year the Steelers had following a .500-or-worse season was in 2004, when they went thanks in large part to a rookie quarterback named Ben Roethlisberger.

But since 1978, when the NFL added a 16-game schedule, the Steelers have turned around after a losing season to finish with a winning record five times —1989, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2007.

They’ve had 10 chances, this year will be the 11th, to make a team viable in the offseason and have succeeded half the time.

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Steelers finished .500 in that aspect too.

With a light early schedule that gets significantly tougher as the winter months roll in, I guess that does make this week’s game a must-win.

That’s a scary thought.

Kevin Connelly is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at kconnelly@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Connelly_Vindy.