Steelers: 3 ways NFL screwed Pittsburgh over with 2022 schedule
By John Buhler
These three games could be especially challenging for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.
Look for the 2022 NFL season to be filled with major growing pains for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This is the first season with a new starting quarterback at the helm in a generation. With Ben Roethlisberger having finally called it a career, it will be Kenny Pickett pushing for playing time early, with Mitchell Trubisky keeping the seat warm for him until he is ready. Pickett may have big shoes to fill, but he must take things one day at a time during his rookie season with Pittsburgh.
Here are three games the NFL did the Steelers no favors when putting together their schedule.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 incredibly difficult games to navigate on their schedule
3. Week 17: at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, Jan. 1)
A sneaky challenging game for the Steelers is when they face the Baltimore Ravens for the second time. It will be on New Year’s Day and the second to last week of the regular season. Not only are the Steelers and Ravens bitter rivals, but playoff spots could be on the line. Whoever loses at M&T Bank Stadium may not win the division or could miss out on the postseason entirely.
Although the Steelers will have an extra day of rest after hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve in Week 16, this could be the second challenging game in a row Pittsburgh plays. Depending on how the season goes, there could be pressure on Kenny Pickett to propel this team into the playoffs on the road at Baltimore, as well as him being fed to the wolves late in the year.
Because the Steelers are a team of such great variance this year, it is hard to forecast how good, or bad, they will be in the latter part of the season. Should everything go according to plan, Pickett can help this team win the division with something like an 11-6 record. For the sake of being optimistic, being tasked to beat Baltimore on the road late in the season as a rookie is a tall order.
Getting the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 18 makes the final weeks even more challenging.