While we've known who the Steelers' 2025 opponents were going to be since the 2024 season came to an end, we now know the order in which they'll face them.
As we witnessed last season, the way the schedule is laid out absolutely matters. The three games in 11 days -- on the road against the future Super Bowl champion Eagles, on the road against the archrival Ravens six days later, then facing the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Christmas just four days after that -- looked brutal when the schedule dropped last May. And, it proved to be just as daunting when it played out.
This year, there are no such gauntlets. There are tough stretches and an early bye week doesn't help matters. Even so, just as I did last year, let's break this schedule down month by month and see where it takes us, though I am withholding record predictions until much closer to the start of the season.
SEPTEMBER
• Week 1: at Jets • Week 2: vs. Seahawks • Week 3: at Patriots • Week 4: vs Vikings (Dublin, Ireland)
The start to the season isn't completely easy, but it gives the Steelers a good runway throughout the first month. First up are the Jets, who are coming off a lousy 5-12 season. They were a mess in a lot of ways and underwent a coaching change midseason. Aaron Glenn is an interesting hire, and even played a big role in why Justin Fields opted to sign there. However, this seems to be more of a team in transition, highlighted by the team losing Morgan Moses and D.J. Reed and replacing them in the draft with Armand Membou and Azareye'h Thomas, respectively.
The Seahawks are another team that seems to be in transition. The traded Geno Smith to the Raiders and signed Sam Darnold in free agency. They hired Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator, who will now be in a better situation than he was with the Saints last season. However, their receiver room is difficult to predict and the offensive line is a work in progress. The defense should be solid, but this is still a manageable game.
The Patriots were awful last season, but they could be the next team that makes a huge jump from one year to the next. They made two very solid hires with Mike Vrabel at head coach and Josh McDaniel at offensive coordinator. They've also added a ton of talent throughout the offseason, using both free agency and the draft to upgrade skill positions on offense, both sides of the trenches and various holes on the defense. With Drake Maye having a better supporting cast and head coach/offensive coordinator combination, this could be a dangerous team. At worst, they should be much improved from a dreadful 4-13 campaign last year.
Even with the change from Darnold to J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, the Vikings are tough. They won 14 games last year because they are a sensational football team. The fact that this game will also be played in Dublin, Ireland is a variable in and of itself. Dealing with the jet lag from the trip across the pond affected the Steelers when they played the Vikings in London in 2013, and it currently sounds like the team isn't deviating much from that plan. Ireland is going to be a lot of fun, but it's also going to be tough.
OCTOBER
• Week 5: Bye • Week 6: vs. Browns • Week 7: at Bengals (Thursday Night Football) • Week 8: vs. Packers (Sunday Night Football)
An early bye certainly isn't ideal, but it will help the Steelers get a much needed reset after traveling overseas for the Ireland game. Coming out of the bye, the team hosts the Browns, who have nearly two teams' worth of quarterbacks under contract. Plus, Mike Tomlin is 14-4 coming out of the bye week as head coach of the Steelers. Another gift from the schedule makers.
Traveling to Cincinnati to take on the the Bengals just four days later isn't great, but it isn't terrible, either. It's a short trip for the team, and the Bengals are still a mess on the defensive side of the ball. They have a lot to prove there before they can be some sort of lock for the playoffs. Tomlin isn't great on short weeks, but the lack of any defense in Cincinnati makes this game at least a toss up.
The Packers are a formidable foe, winning 11 games last season in the toughest division in the NFL. However, it is a prime time game at home, and Tomlin is 14-7 following a mini bye, which is what the Steelers will get facing the Bengals on Thursday Night Football the week before. A victory here isn't completely out of the question.
NOVEMBER
• Week 9: vs. Colts • Week 10: at Chargers (Sunday Night Football) • Week 11: vs. Bengals • Week 12: at Bears • Week 13: vs. Bills
This month has one big hurdle, which is a prime time game on the West Coast. Prior to that, the Steelers will host a Colts team that's in flux and has the likes of Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson and rookie Riley Leanord competing at quarterback. That just doesn't strike a ton of fear into nearly any opponent.
The Chargers are not only a solid football team that is poised for another run at a playoff spot in the loaded AFC, but the Steelers have to fly all the way across country for a game that won't start until 8:20 p.m. back in Pittsburgh. Even if they win, it could affect their rematch with the Bengals. And, despite the issues on defense, Cincinnati's still a team that can put up points in a hurry.
Soldier Field hasn't been exactly kind to the Steelers. The last game played there between the two teams was the game that was more about Alejandro Villanueva and the national anthem, which the Steelers lost in overtime, 23-17. In fact, the Steelers haven't won in Solider Field since 1995, when they won in overtime, 37-34.
After a trip to Chicago, the Steelers come home to begin a four-game stretch that could define the Steelers' season. No, it's not quite on the same level as last year, but it'll be tough. That starts with Josh Allen and the Bills, a team that is currently a Super Bowl contender every single season and one of the very best in the NFL.
DECEMBER/JANUARY
• Week 14: at Ravens • Week 15: vs. Dolphins (Monday Night Football) • Week 16: at Lions • Week 17: at Browns • Week 18: vs. Ravens
After hosting Allen and the Bills, the Steelers face the Ravens for the first time, with the season series starting in Baltimore. It's Steelers vs. Ravens, so there's a very good chance this goes either way. And, the Ravens once again look like a team that should be favored to win the AFC North.
After facing Allen and Lamar Jackson in back-to-back weeks, the Steelers get a reprieve to face a Dolphins team that has massive holes all over the roster. Yes, they drafted Kenneth Grant in the first round, but only made one other pick until the fifth round. Plus, it sounds like Tyreek Hill wants out of Miami, so it's just hard to imagine this being a formidable team at all in 2025. Plus, it's a Monday night in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins don't play well in cold weather.
The final chapter of this four-game stretch ends with traveling to Detroit on a short week. The Lions went 15-2 last season, they're still a strong football team, Tomlin's not great on short weeks ... I don't think I need to list anything else. This might be the toughest matchup of the season given all the circumstances.
But after that, the Steelers travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns, who could have nothing to play for other than beating their most hated rival. It's an AFC North game, but it's finally a game in Cleveland in a regular week. This comes after having to go there for a Thursday night game twice in the past three seasons.
The season wraps with hosting the Ravens, which isn't too atypical. Week 18 is now usually exclusively filled with divisional matchups, and there's a chance these two teams end up vying for the AFC North crown in 2025. It'll be tough, but at least the Steelers will close things out at home.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The strength of the schedule is spread out, which helps the Steelers. Only four prime time games and no holidays, which helps the Steelers. Just one Thursday night and one Monday night, all other games are on Sundays, which helps the Steelers. The team will travel 15,062 miles this season, which is the ninth-fewest in the league, despite having to go to Ireland for one of their games. That ... helps the Steelers.
This isn't 2024 again. The strength of the opponents give the Steelers the 10th-hardest schedule in the league, but the way its laid out makes it much more manageable than what we witnessed last year.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
7:15 pm - 05.15.2025South SideBreaking down a more favorable schedule
While we've known who the Steelers' 2025 opponents were going to be since the 2024 season came to an end, we now know the order in which they'll face them.
As we witnessed last season, the way the schedule is laid out absolutely matters. The three games in 11 days -- on the road against the future Super Bowl champion Eagles, on the road against the archrival Ravens six days later, then facing the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Christmas just four days after that -- looked brutal when the schedule dropped last May. And, it proved to be just as daunting when it played out.
This year, there are no such gauntlets. There are tough stretches and an early bye week doesn't help matters. Even so, just as I did last year, let's break this schedule down month by month and see where it takes us, though I am withholding record predictions until much closer to the start of the season.
SEPTEMBER
• Week 1: at Jets
• Week 2: vs. Seahawks
• Week 3: at Patriots
• Week 4: vs Vikings (Dublin, Ireland)
The start to the season isn't completely easy, but it gives the Steelers a good runway throughout the first month. First up are the Jets, who are coming off a lousy 5-12 season. They were a mess in a lot of ways and underwent a coaching change midseason. Aaron Glenn is an interesting hire, and even played a big role in why Justin Fields opted to sign there. However, this seems to be more of a team in transition, highlighted by the team losing Morgan Moses and D.J. Reed and replacing them in the draft with Armand Membou and Azareye'h Thomas, respectively.
The Seahawks are another team that seems to be in transition. The traded Geno Smith to the Raiders and signed Sam Darnold in free agency. They hired Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator, who will now be in a better situation than he was with the Saints last season. However, their receiver room is difficult to predict and the offensive line is a work in progress. The defense should be solid, but this is still a manageable game.
The Patriots were awful last season, but they could be the next team that makes a huge jump from one year to the next. They made two very solid hires with Mike Vrabel at head coach and Josh McDaniel at offensive coordinator. They've also added a ton of talent throughout the offseason, using both free agency and the draft to upgrade skill positions on offense, both sides of the trenches and various holes on the defense. With Drake Maye having a better supporting cast and head coach/offensive coordinator combination, this could be a dangerous team. At worst, they should be much improved from a dreadful 4-13 campaign last year.
Even with the change from Darnold to J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, the Vikings are tough. They won 14 games last year because they are a sensational football team. The fact that this game will also be played in Dublin, Ireland is a variable in and of itself. Dealing with the jet lag from the trip across the pond affected the Steelers when they played the Vikings in London in 2013, and it currently sounds like the team isn't deviating much from that plan. Ireland is going to be a lot of fun, but it's also going to be tough.
OCTOBER
• Week 5: Bye
• Week 6: vs. Browns
• Week 7: at Bengals (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 8: vs. Packers (Sunday Night Football)
An early bye certainly isn't ideal, but it will help the Steelers get a much needed reset after traveling overseas for the Ireland game. Coming out of the bye, the team hosts the Browns, who have nearly two teams' worth of quarterbacks under contract. Plus, Mike Tomlin is 14-4 coming out of the bye week as head coach of the Steelers. Another gift from the schedule makers.
Traveling to Cincinnati to take on the the Bengals just four days later isn't great, but it isn't terrible, either. It's a short trip for the team, and the Bengals are still a mess on the defensive side of the ball. They have a lot to prove there before they can be some sort of lock for the playoffs. Tomlin isn't great on short weeks, but the lack of any defense in Cincinnati makes this game at least a toss up.
The Packers are a formidable foe, winning 11 games last season in the toughest division in the NFL. However, it is a prime time game at home, and Tomlin is 14-7 following a mini bye, which is what the Steelers will get facing the Bengals on Thursday Night Football the week before. A victory here isn't completely out of the question.
NOVEMBER
• Week 9: vs. Colts
• Week 10: at Chargers (Sunday Night Football)
• Week 11: vs. Bengals
• Week 12: at Bears
• Week 13: vs. Bills
This month has one big hurdle, which is a prime time game on the West Coast. Prior to that, the Steelers will host a Colts team that's in flux and has the likes of Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson and rookie Riley Leanord competing at quarterback. That just doesn't strike a ton of fear into nearly any opponent.
The Chargers are not only a solid football team that is poised for another run at a playoff spot in the loaded AFC, but the Steelers have to fly all the way across country for a game that won't start until 8:20 p.m. back in Pittsburgh. Even if they win, it could affect their rematch with the Bengals. And, despite the issues on defense, Cincinnati's still a team that can put up points in a hurry.
Soldier Field hasn't been exactly kind to the Steelers. The last game played there between the two teams was the game that was more about Alejandro Villanueva and the national anthem, which the Steelers lost in overtime, 23-17. In fact, the Steelers haven't won in Solider Field since 1995, when they won in overtime, 37-34.
After a trip to Chicago, the Steelers come home to begin a four-game stretch that could define the Steelers' season. No, it's not quite on the same level as last year, but it'll be tough. That starts with Josh Allen and the Bills, a team that is currently a Super Bowl contender every single season and one of the very best in the NFL.
DECEMBER/JANUARY
• Week 14: at Ravens
• Week 15: vs. Dolphins (Monday Night Football)
• Week 16: at Lions
• Week 17: at Browns
• Week 18: vs. Ravens
After hosting Allen and the Bills, the Steelers face the Ravens for the first time, with the season series starting in Baltimore. It's Steelers vs. Ravens, so there's a very good chance this goes either way. And, the Ravens once again look like a team that should be favored to win the AFC North.
After facing Allen and Lamar Jackson in back-to-back weeks, the Steelers get a reprieve to face a Dolphins team that has massive holes all over the roster. Yes, they drafted Kenneth Grant in the first round, but only made one other pick until the fifth round. Plus, it sounds like Tyreek Hill wants out of Miami, so it's just hard to imagine this being a formidable team at all in 2025. Plus, it's a Monday night in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins don't play well in cold weather.
The final chapter of this four-game stretch ends with traveling to Detroit on a short week. The Lions went 15-2 last season, they're still a strong football team, Tomlin's not great on short weeks ... I don't think I need to list anything else. This might be the toughest matchup of the season given all the circumstances.
But after that, the Steelers travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns, who could have nothing to play for other than beating their most hated rival. It's an AFC North game, but it's finally a game in Cleveland in a regular week. This comes after having to go there for a Thursday night game twice in the past three seasons.
The season wraps with hosting the Ravens, which isn't too atypical. Week 18 is now usually exclusively filled with divisional matchups, and there's a chance these two teams end up vying for the AFC North crown in 2025. It'll be tough, but at least the Steelers will close things out at home.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The strength of the schedule is spread out, which helps the Steelers. Only four prime time games and no holidays, which helps the Steelers. Just one Thursday night and one Monday night, all other games are on Sundays, which helps the Steelers. The team will travel 15,062 miles this season, which is the ninth-fewest in the league, despite having to go to Ireland for one of their games. That ... helps the Steelers.
This isn't 2024 again. The strength of the opponents give the Steelers the 10th-hardest schedule in the league, but the way its laid out makes it much more manageable than what we witnessed last year.
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