Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 schedule Toughest stretch opponent preview pivotal matchups predictions and more

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The standard is still the standard.Despite facing the NFL's toughest schedule this season, Mike Tomlin is keeping his team's sights set on pursuing the franchise's seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy. If they want to make a Super Bowl run, Pittsburgh will first have to get through a competitive AFC North division that includes two teams that made the playoffs in 2020 in the and the . Speaking of the Browns, it was Cleveland that staged an upset of Pittsburgh in the wild card round of the 2020 playoffs.The Steelers are a different team from the one that lost five of their last six games in 2020. They acquired several key players in the draft that includes running back , tight end , offensive linemen and , linebacker pa s rusher . The Steelers were also able to re-sign , the team's leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions since the start of the 2017 season. Pittsburgh also restructured the contract of quarterback , thus  Mike Bossy Jersey allowing him to return for what could be his final season. While several key players are gone, Pittsburgh's roster still includes some of the NFL's most talented veterans. That list includes Roethlisberger, Smith-Schuster, receivers and , tight end , defensive linemen , , , linebackers T.J. Watt, , and , cornerback , and safety . This nucleus helped the Steelers roll to an 11-0 start last year before injuries, a grueling slate in the schedule (Pittsburgh was forced to play three games in a 12-day span), dropped pa ses and a lack of a running game led to en early playoff exit.The Steelers focused on plugging their biggest holes this offseason while also minimizing some of their lo ses. Among the team's key free agent acquisitions were lineman and pa s rusher . The Steelers recently added to their defense by acquiring former Pro Bowl linebacker via a trade with Jacksonville.  Pittsburgh continues to be led by Tomlin, who in his 14 years on the job has never posted a losing season. Throughout that time, Tomlin has worked in concert with general manager Kevin Colbert, whose eye for talent has helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls, three AFC titles and 10 division titles during his 21 years with the organization. The duo is hoping that Adam Pelech Kids Jersey  their current roster is good enough to post another winning season while keeping pace with the other top teams in the conference, many of which the Steelers will see during the regular season.William Hill Sportsbook has the ' Over/Under set at 9 games, which was the same projection the Steelers received last offseason. Below, you can check out my week-by-week breakdown and predictions of every game game on Pittsburgh's 2021 schedule, including each team's Over/Under set by William Hill. But first, let's take a look at several notable takeaways from the Steelers' schedule as well as pinpointing the toughest part of their upcoming journey.  Key schedule observationsPittsburgh's opponents posted a cumulative .574 winning percentage in 2020, making the Steelers' schedule the NFL's hardest10 games against 2020 playoff teams Five prime-time games that include a Week 17 playoff rematch against the visiting BrownsWeek 7 byeFive of Steelers last six games are against 2020 playoff teamsToughest stretchPittsburgh's Week 13-18 stretch is a daunting one. It starts with a home game against the Ravens before heading to Minnesota for a Thursday night matchup with the . From there, the Steelers host the reigning AFC South champion before going to Kansas City to face the two-time defending AFC champion . Pittsburgh will then host the Browns on "Monday Night Football" before closing out the regular season in Baltimore.On to the predictions: Week 1- Monday, Sept. 12Location: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)Time: 1 p.m Shane Prince Women Jersey . ET2020 record: 13-3Series record: 16-11 (Steelers lead)Opponent win total: O/U 10.5For a seventh straight year, the Steelers will start the season on the road. In Week 14 of the 2020 season, the Steelers took an early lead before the Bills' defense took over in what was eventually a 26-15 win for the home team. The Bills will be favored, but something is telling me that the Steelers' new offensive game plan (with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada) could help Pittsburgh catch Buffalo off guard. The Steelers' defense will also be out to prove that they are still one of the NFL's best units after losing this offseason. That being said, I'm still picking the Bills in what should be one of the better 1 p.m. games on the NFL's Week 1 slate.  Prediction: Bills 20, Steelers 16 Week 2- Sunday, Sept. 19Location: Heinz Field (Pittsburgh)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 8-8Series record: 16-13 (Raiders lead) Opponent win total:O/U 7.5The Steelers will host what is expected to be a sellout Heinz Field crowd for the first time in over two years. Inspired by the home crowd, Pittsburgh beats its old rival behind Roethlisberger and his deep receiving corps. Harris should also have succe s against a Las Vegas defense that finished just 24th in the league in rushing in 2020. The Steelers' defense -- a unit that has had i sues against tight ends in the past -- will surely be dialed in on , who has caught 197 pa ses over the past two seasons. For that reason, the return of Bush (who mi sed most of last season with a torn ACL) is big in this matchup.Prediction: Steelers 28, Raiders 17  First Meeting: Week 3(Heinz Field, Pittsburgh) - Sunday, Sept. 26, 1 p.m. ETSecond Meeting:Week 12 (Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati) - Nov. 28, 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 4-11-1Series record: 67-36 (Steelers lead)Opponent win total:O/U 6.5  Pittsburgh split its two games against the Cincinnati in 2020. They defeated the Bengals with relative ease (36-10) in Week 10 before losing to a Ryan Finley-led Bengals team in Cincinnati in Week 15. The Bengals made a few roster improvements that includes the signing of pa s rusher and rookies , , and . The Bengals' biggest question is whether or not quarterback can stay healthy for an entire season. If he can, Burrow should be able to help the Bengals get closer toward respectability in his second pro season. That being said,  Semyon Varlamov Jersey I don't see Burrow's first win against the Steelers occurring in 2021. A suming they're relatively healthy for both matchups, the Steelers are simply a deeper, more talented team that has largely had their Pat Lafontaine Kids Jersey  way with the Bengals during Big Ben's career. The Bengals' deep receiving corps is something Steelers fans should be leery of in both matchups.Week 3 Prediction: Steelers 31, Bengals 16Week 12 Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 20 Week 5- Sunday, Oct. 3Location: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wisconsin)Time: 4:25 p.m.2020 record: 13-3Series record: 19-16 (Packers)Opponent win total:O/U 11A suming is still in Green Bay, this is a cla sic battle between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Big Ben and Rodgers split their first two matchups that includes the Packers' 31-25 win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Roethlisberger should manage to have succe s against Green Bay's suspect pa s defense, but the Steelers may struggle to contain Rodgers' and Green Bay's formidable pa sing attack, led by perennial Pro Bowl receiver .  Prediction: Packers 28, Steelers 20 Week 5- Sunday, Oct. 10Location: Heinz Field (Pittsburgh)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 5-11Series record: 21-12-1 (Broncos lead)Opponent win total:O/U 7.5The Steelers, despite suffering an injury in the first quarter, needed a late defensive stand to clinch a 26-21 win over the visiting Broncos in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Pittsburgh specifically had i sues containing the Broncos' receivers that included (three catches, 66 yards), (four catches, 62 yards) and tight end (four catches, 57 yards, one touchdown). Expect the Steelers to keep their foot on the gas pedal this time, as and the rest of Pittsburgh's defense look to feast on a Broncos offen
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