The Steelers left Week 1 with a win, but not much breathing room. That kind of opener buys you a little time, not a clean bill of health. Pittsburgh sits alongside the 1-0 Ravens and Bengals for now, yet the bigger question is what this team actually looks like once the schedule starts asking harder questions.
The defense can be good enough to keep Pittsburgh in games. The offense, though, has a much lower ceiling, and that gap could matter a lot as the season goes on. With that in mind, the next three weeks feel like a real early test.
Week 2 sends the Steelers to New England for a 1:00 PM ET matchup with the Patriots, and this one leans against Pittsburgh pretty quickly. New England is coming off an ugly Week 1 loss to Seattle, but the Patriots have the edge of home field and extra rest after playing all the way back on Wednesday the 9th. They also look like the better team on paper, with a clearer advantage at quarterback, an improved offensive line, and enough defensive talent to slow down the Steelers’ offense.
There’s still skepticism around New England after last year’s schedule and that rough opening performance, but Drake Maye’s home numbers are hard to ignore. He has a 102.2 passer rating at home and has completed over 70 percent of his passes. That gives the Patriots enough to pull away late.
Prediction: Patriots win 24-20 (1-1)
Week 3 brings a tougher stylistic problem for Pittsburgh, even though the game is at Acrisure. Cincinnati comes in at 1:00 PM ET, and the Bengals’ revamped defense is part of the story, even if it didn’t flash in Week 1. The bigger issue for the Steelers is what happens when they face an offense with real punch.
Pittsburgh simply doesn’t have the personnel to match up well with Cincinnati. Aaron Rodgers is still a solid quarterback, but he’s not operating at the level that can carry this kind of matchup against a deeper, more explosive group. The Bengals should be able to create chunk plays through the air while the Steelers struggle to answer.
And this version of Cincinnati has more than just one threat. The offensive line is finally trending toward being a good unit, and the Bengals have three major playmakers the Steelers have to deal with: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown. Pittsburgh will try to keep things from turning into a shootout, but that’s easier said than done.
Prediction: Bengals win 28-20 (1-2)
Then comes Week 4, and that looks like the spot where Pittsburgh can steady itself. A Thursday night trip to Cleveland has the feel of a get-right game, especially this early in the year. Deshaun Watson might not even start, but whether it’s Watson or Shedeur Sanders, the source material views both as below-average, backup-caliber options at best.
That gives the Steelers a chance to take control. Cleveland’s offensive line has been remade, and the Pittsburgh defense should be able to feast. On the other side, the Steelers’ offense should have enough room to score a few times against a Browns team that has decent skill talent but not enough overall offensive strength to keep asking that group to carry the load.
By the end of the primetime matchup, Pittsburgh should have worn Cleveland down and gotten back to .500.
In Other News...
Steelers Mourn The Loss Of An Early 1960s Standout
Jim Bradshaw, one of the Steelers early-1960s standouts in the secondary, has died at the age of 87, according to a social media post from his family. Bradshaw spent five seasons in Pittsburgh from 1963 through 1967, appearing in 62 NFL games and carving out a role as a safety after originally arriving as a quarterback.
His path through the league reflected the kind of versatility that defined so many players of that era, with the Steelers eventually shifting him into a defensive back role. Bradshaw was traded to the Browns after the 1967 season, but he did not end up playing a game for Cleveland before being cut, closing the book on a pro career that began with Pittsburgh and left its mark on the franchises early years. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Porter Jr. Just Gave Steelers Fans A Reason To Hope
Joey Porter Jr. has started to trend in the right direction for the Steelers as they prepare for their Week 2 matchup, with his practice workload increasing after opening the week in a limited capacity. Head coach Mike McCarthy said Porter is expected to do more in practice, which at least suggests the cornerback is making progress even if his status for game day is still unsettled.
The on-field ramp-up matters because Porters situation is about more than one week of preparation. Hes in the final year of his rookie deal, and while Pittsburgh still has control beyond this season through the usual mechanisms, the contract side of things remains unresolved. For now, the Steelers can at least take some comfort in seeing one of their top young defenders moving closer to full participation. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Starters Already Fighting To Keep Their Jobs In New England
The Steelers did not even get past their season opener before some of the conversation shifted from the result to the depth chart. As Pittsburgh gets ready for Week 2 against the New England Patriots, a handful of players are already under the kind of scrutiny that can change roles quickly if the early-season play does not sharpen up. Dylan Cook, Rayshawn Jenkins, Spencer Anderson, Asante Samuel Jr. and DK Metcalf are among the names being watched closely as the coaching staff weighs performance against trust.
For a team trying to settle into the year, that kind of pressure can make the next game feel a lot bigger than the calendar suggests. Week 2 is rarely where anyone wants to be sorting through starter questions, but that is the spot Pittsburgh is in after one game, with potential depth chart changes looming if those players do not answer the bell in New England. [Read more 🡒]