Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

The Pittsburgh Steelers will find out their schedule on Thursday, May 12. Here are five must-win games for them in 2022.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a new era. After making one last run to the playoffs last season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the NFL. Not only that, but general manager Kevin Colbert stepped down after the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pittsburgh watched as the rest of the conference got much tougher, and they will be looking to see if either Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett is the right person to lead them as their starting quarterback. It does help that they have their dominant defense, led by T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.

The Steelers will find out their schedules for the 2022 season on Thursday, May 12. Yet, their opponents are already set in stone. With that in mind, here are five must-win games for the Steelers.

Cincinnati Bengals

Of course, if the Steelers want to make the playoffs they have to go against the kings of the North and the AFC in the Cincinnati Bengals.

It certainly will be a challenge, as the Bengals were a great team last year led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who had a less than ideal offensive line. Now, he got a massive upgrade in protection at the line of scrimmage, making the Bengals a tough team to beat in 2022.

Baltimore Ravens

Defeating a hated rival is a must for the Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens dealt with a plethora of injuries last year, but they made some huge improvements through the NFL Draft. But, it will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh’s defense attacks the offense, now that they traded top wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Arizona Cardinals.

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh holds the distinction of being responsible for the Cleveland Browns winning their first playoff game since 1994 in the 2020. That alone is motivation for the Steelers. But, it will be interesting to see who the Browns will have starting at quarterback, as Deshaun Watson could be disciplined by the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Beating one of the top teams in the NFC should be a priority for the Steelers. They are set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.

This a Buccaneers team that saw Tom Brady retire, then unretire, and Bruce Arians move to the front office, allowing defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to be promoted to head coach. This is relatively the same Buccaneers team that have made the playoffs the last two years, and beating them would be the ultimate statement by the Steelers.

Philadelphia Eagles

This is easy. The Philadelphia Eagles are an in-state rival. Who does not want to beat their in-state rival for Pennsylvania bragging rights?

The Eagles made the playoffs last season and they got a heck of a lot better this offseason. They signed edge rusher Haason Reddick to pair opposite Derek Barnett and pulled off the trade for Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Pittsburgh needs to pick up some wins against Philadelphia, who has a 47-29-3 head-to-head record against them.