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The NFL announced its 2021 NFL Schedule on Wednesday evening, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league.
In 2020, the Steelers had the second-easiest schedule in the NFL, but after an 11-0 run, the team lost four of its last five to finish out the year. Pittsburgh will have a hard time bouncing back this year, as the Steelers will have to face their talented AFC North division rivals and an overall competitive AFC. In fact, the Steelers will face 10 2020 playoff teams.
Why is the Steelers' Schedule Tough?
The AFC North is loaded
In 2020, three AFC North teams clinched playoff spots. The Steelers, who started the season 11-0 and finished 12-4, took the division title. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns both finished 11-5, and the Browns took back-to-back wins against the Steelers. One of these victories came in the AFC Wild Card game, where Cleveland sent the Steelers home in a shocking upset.
Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion, is now the elder statesman and the only non-Heisman winning quarterback in the division. This year, the last two meetings with the Browns and Ravens will come within six days of each other to close out the season.
A Monday night matchup at home against Cleveland and a Sunday afternoon matinee in Baltimore could determine the Steelers' fate this year. As a result, the AFC North may not be decided until January.
Tough Road Games
Three away games against MVP quarterbacks will add another level of difficulty to the Steelers' schedule.
The Steelers will start the 2021 season with a roadtrip to Orchard Park in a rematch of the Week 14 game against the Buffalo Bills. Pittsburgh will then take a Week 4 roadtrip to Lambeau Field to play the Green Bay Packers. If Aaron Rodgers stays with the Packers, he will be the first of three MVPs that the Steelers will face this year. Plus, Packers fans are also known to pack the stadium, making it a tough atmosphere for visiting teams.
The Steelers schedule is filled plenty of winnable games, but in Week 15, a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face Patrick Mahomes (another MVP) and his AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs will be a daunting task.
Finally, the Week 18 clash in Baltimore, as mentioned above, could end up being a make-or-break game for Pittsburgh's season.
Tough Stretch at the end
The Chiefs and Ravens games highlight an intense closing month on the Steelers' schedule. Overall, the team's opponents in the last month of this season combined for a 47-17 record in 2020.
To keeptheir spot atop the AFC North Division, the Steelers can't repeat what happened in 2020. The Steelers started the season off strong and struggled the last six weeks. This time around, Pittsburgh will have to start the season hot and maintain its winning ways to return to the playoffs.
