Ladies and gentlemen, the 2021 NFL schedule is officially here. With the draft in the books and most rosters all but locked and loaded for the fall, we can finally turn our eyes toward the season. The AFC North, in particular, promises plenty of intrigue this year, with three teams coming off of playoff seasons. The Steelers' 2021 season promises to be full of intrigue, thanks to their addition of Najee Harris at running back and Ben Roethlisberger returning for his 18th (and final?) season. Here's a full rundown of their 17-game schedule, including key matchups and a season prediction:
2021 Steelers schedule
| Week | Opponent | Date | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | at Bills | Sept. 12 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
2 | vs. Raiders | Sept. 19 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
3 | vs. Bengals | Sept. 26 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
4 | at Packers | Oct. 3 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
5 | vs. Broncos | Oct. 10 | 1 p.m. | FOX |
6 | vs. Seahawks | Oct. 17 | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
7 | Bye Week | |||
8 | at Browns | Oct. 31 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
9 | vs. Bears | Nov. 8 | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
10 | vs. Lions | Nov. 14 | 1 p.m. | FOX |
11 | at Chargers | Nov. 21 | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
12 | at Bengals | Nov. 28 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
13 | vs. Ravens | Dec. 5 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
14 | at Vikings | Dec. 9 | 8:20 p.m. | FOX/NFLN/Amazon |
15 | vs. Titans | Dec. 19 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
16 | at Chiefs | Dec. 26 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
17 | vs. Browns | Jan. 3 | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| 18 | at Ravens | Jan. 9 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
Steelers key games
- Week 13 vs. Ravens: Alejandro Villanueva's move to Baltimore has added even more fuel to this fiery rivalry. The Steelers swept the season series last year and will look to continue to have success against Lamar Jackson in 2021.
- Week 8 at Browns: Rest assured that the Steelers already have this game circled on their calendar. Cleveland, after all, ended Pittsburgh's 2020 season by virtue of its 48-37 victory at Heinz Field during the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs.
- Week 14 at Vikings: The Steelers' final six games include five games against teams that went to the playoffs in 2020. The only team that didn't, the Vikings, feature one of the NFL's most potent offenses, led by Dalvin Cook. This game, just four days after a game against the Ravens, won't be easy.
Steelers toughest matchup
Week: 16 | Date: Dec. 26 | Time: 4:25 p.m.
Opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
The Steelers have faced Patrick Mahomes just one time prior to 2021, and the result wasn't pretty. The soon-to-be league MVP fired six touchdown passes in handing the Steelers a 42-37 loss in Week 2 of the 2018 season. The Steelers defense will undoubtedly have to be better this time around.
Steelers projected win total
2021 record prediction: 10-7
While the third quarter of the Steelers' schedule isn't too daunting, this is one of the toughest schedules Mike Tomlin will face during his tenure in Pittsburgh. Given the challenging finish to their schedule, it's imperative that the Steelers stack wins during first three quarters of their schedule in order to give themselves a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Pittsburgh can not afford a slow start to the 2021 season.
