Steelers release statement concerning fans at Sunday’s Wild Card Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers were hopeful to have fans return to the stands in some capacity Sunday night for the team’s Wild Card playoff game against the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, in a statement just released by Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten, the numbers permitted for the game will not allow any more than a few friends and family to be in attendance.

After no preseason games, the Steelers played in an empty Heinz Field for the first two home games in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos and Week 3 against the Houston Texans. After a week in which they were supposed to travel to Tennessee face the Titans only to have their bye week thrust upon them, the Steelers got some welcomed to news as they were allowed to have roughly 5,000 fans in the stands for their game against the Philadelphia Eagles and Week 5.

The Steelers continued to host fans in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns as well as their Week 10 matchup against the Bengals. In the three games in front of fans at Heinz Field, the Steelers scored no less than 36 points in each contest and had an average margin of victory of 22 points.

When Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced new regulations beginning the month of December, the Steelers believed they would be able to have fans on their Thanksgiving Night matchup against Baltimore. With the Covid outbreak which took place in the Ravens organization forcing the game to be played the following Wednesday, the Steelers were unable to have fans for their Week 12 matchup against Baltimore as well as their final two home games against the Washington Football Team and Indianapolis Colts.

With the Steelers being able to host 5,000 fans when the allowed number was 7,500, only being permitted to have 2,500 only allows for no more than a few hundred friends and family. While many Steelers fans were hoping just to get back to the normalcy of being in their seats at Heinz Field to cheer on the Black & Gold, it appears the difficulties with 2020 NFL season is just not going to allow this to be a reality.

Stay turned to BTSC for continued coverage as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns Sunday night at Heinz Field in the Wild Card Round of the 2020 NFL postseason