With the Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 schedule announced, the focus is on the back end. That tough stretch playing six AFC North games over their final eight games, a first in franchise history. A Week 16 Saturday game at Baltimore followed by a Week 17 Christmas Day matchup hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. And finishing things out against the Cincinnati Bengals is a game likely to have playoff implications for both sides.
No question, that’s difficult. But don’t think the beginning of Pittsburgh’s schedule is a breeze. Maybe it’s not as brutal. But it sure won’t be easy.
Playing three of the first four games on the road in itself is unappealing. It’s not the end of the world. This is a Steelers team blown out at home in Week 1 last season, but if the team got their way, a 2-2 split would’ve been preferred. Putting venue aside, the opponents aren’t gimmies. The Falcons are a strong team with stability at quarterback in Kirk Cousins. Yes, his Achilles is a factor, and you’d rather face him early than later in the season. But if he’s healthy and plays, two things he’s on track to do, he’ll be a test out of the gate. Atlanta has talented skill players in RB Bijan Robinson and WR Drake London and perhaps the NFL’s most underappreciated offensive line. Like Pittsburgh, they’re built on high draft picks in Kaleb McGary, Chris Lindstrom, and Matthew Bergeron.
When Pittsburgh played them two years ago in Atlanta, they won by three. That was not a comfortable win. This one won’t be either.
At Denver in Week 2? The venue is tough. Playing in that altitude so early in the season as players are still trying to get into full football shape. Dating back to 1991, the Steelers have lost six of their last seven in Denver, only winning in 2009 when Pittsburgh had Ben Roethlisberger and Denver had…Kyle Orton.
The Broncos have rebuilt their roster, and likely will be starting QB Bo Nix, their first-round pick. But Sean Payton is getting to really build the roster the way he wants to after inheriting a mess. The Steelers are early favorites but not by much and the line could shrink by now and mid-September.
Week 3 welcomes the Steelers home for their Acrisure opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. A now-serious team with Jim Harbaugh at the helm, the roster was purged this summer and missing key pieces. But the foundation is there. Two stud tackles in Rashawn Slater and what Joe Alt will presumably become. A talented-when-healthy pass rusher in Joey Bosa, who could test rookie Troy Fautanu out of the gate. Khalil Mack awaits on the other side. Derwin James is at safety. And, of course, Justin Herbert is a Top 10 quarterback who schooled the Steelers’ defense in their one meeting, throwing for nearly 400 yards, rushing for 90 more, and three touchdowns in a 41-point output.
Home cookin’ hasn’t recently worked in the Steelers’ favor. They’ve lost their last three home openers, including getting dusted by San Francisco in 2023.
Week 4 has Pittsburgh scheduled in Indianapolis. Last year’s attempt there didn’t go well, getting run over and worn out by the Colts’ ground game. That came without Anthony Richardson, shelved due to a shoulder injury, with the Steelers getting beat by Gardner Minshew. Pittsburgh has a new quarterback, too. It won’t be Mitch Trubisky playing objectively terrible, but this one is still a coin flip.
Dallas comes to town in Week 5. Who knows what kind of team the Cowboys will be, but they’re potent. Good quarterback, talented receivers, a DPOY candidate in Micah Parsons and ballhawk (though highly inconsistent) CB in Trevon Diggs.
Those are five tough games. And that’s sort of the point. On paper, we knew Pittsburgh had one of the hardest schedules in the league. Some of that’s due to playing in the ultra-competitive AFC North, but their non-divisional slate is a handful, too. No matter how the calendar broke, there wasn’t going to feel like an “easy” portion of the schedule, a relative term knowing the NFL is wild and unpredictable, and nothing should be assumed.
I’m breaking my own rule by overanalyzing the schedule. Week 1 is interesting because it’s the first opponent and when each team will presumably be at their healthiest. From there, all bets are off. Trying to predict what any team will look like by Week 8 is fool’s gold. No one had the arc of the Steelers’ 2023 season figured out before the first kickoff. That Mason Rudolph would come off the bench and lead Pittsburgh into the playoffs. But it’s a quiet time of the year and if I don’t opine here, you’re getting a list of my “Top 5 favorite Steelers long snappers” instead.
You can still argue that the end is worse than the beginning—that’s fair—but it all looks challenging. The Steelers better be ready.
