Bringing back a series we’ve done each of the past two seasons looking at three games that could make or break the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season. Last season, the Steelers went 1-2 in the games we highlighted but were still able to make the playoffs thanks to a three-game winning streak to close the season with Mason Rudolph under center. With a revamped roster and a front office that’s hungry to finally make some noise in the playoffs, we’ll see if the Steelers can take care of business in the regular season, even with a brutal second half of their schedule.
Week 6 at Las Vegas Raiders
This is the middle game of a key three-game stretch, with the Steelers playing host to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 5 and then returning to Acrisure Stadium in Week 7 for another SNF tilt, this one against the New York Jets. Dallas and New York are going to be tough opponents, and it’s a stretch that the Steelers might need to get out of with a 2-1 record.
That means they’re going to have to take care of business against the Raiders on the road. Pittsburgh won in Las Vegas last year, but it’s a Raiders team that’s undergone some changes with Antonio Pierce at head coach. They signed DL Christian Wilkins this offseason and will start either Gardner Minshew II or Aidan O’Connell at quarterback.
The Raiders don’t have high expectations this season, but they played hard under Pierce last season and the Steelers can’t afford to overlook this game with it being sandwiched between two primetime contests against marquee opponents. It doesn’t help that it will be one of Pittsburgh’s longest road trips of the season, but it’s a game that the Steelers are going to have to win.
Week 14 vs. Cleveland Browns
As we all know by now, the back half of the Steelers’ schedule is an absolute gauntlet. Week 14, at home against the Browns, represents a key point in the schedule before the Steelers hit the road for games in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and follows a road tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s also the fourth game in a row against a divisional opponent and closing that stretch on a high note could give the Steelers some momentum going forward. It’s a pivotal point in the stretch as the lone home game in four games and against a talented but beatable divisional foe. Especially with two road games following it, this is a game the Steelers will need to win.
They beat the Browns at Acrisure Stadium last season, and this Week 14 contest comes just two weeks after Pittsburgh’s first meeting with Cleveland. They’ll have familiarity with who they are at that point in the season, and while a stout Browns defense will pose a challenge, the Steelers offense, likely led by Russell Wilson, should be settled in by that point in the season. It’s going to be a tough game, but the momentum of getting a win against Cleveland at home could be huge, especially with it being the last game of the four-game divisional stretch.
Week 18 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The last few seasons have seen the Steelers’ season come down to Week 18, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if that was the case again in 2024. With Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have an explosive offense and aren’t going to be an easy team to beat. This game could have playoff implications for both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, and it might be one that the Steelers need to win.
In terms of make-or-break games, this could be the ultimate one. The Steelers will certainly be battle-tested as this will be their sixth divisional game in their eight-game stretch to close the season, and the playoffs would be a real nice reward at the end of that tunnel. We obviously don’t have a crystal ball to see where the season is going to go, but I just have a feeling that this game is going to be really important for Pittsburgh’s playoff chances.
They’ll have the benefit of an earlier matchup with the Bengals, and with this one being at home, the Acrisure Stadium crowd could make a difference. Hopefully, the Steelers can pull this one out and ideally it’ll lead them into the postseason on a high note.
