Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers can officially book their flights and hotels as the 2023 NFL schedules have been released. For some fans, this is one of the most anticipated days of the offseason. We have known who the Steelers will play in 2023 since the conclusion of the regular season in 2022, but now fans can officially start to plan weekends where they can head to Pittsburgh's North Shore or catch a road game where virtually the entire opposing team's stadium is taken over by people waiving the infamous 'Terrible Towel.'
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Around the NFL, the Steelers are looked at as a team that is still rebuilding around a young core of offensive talent. But fans of the black and gold know that brighter days are closer than the rest of the league might think. With a retooled offensive line, and a quarterback heading into his second season, there might just be playoff football once again in Pittsburgh.
At first look, the schedule sets up nicely for the Steelers. For the first time since 2014, they finally will get to play in front of their home crowd at Acrisure Stadium in Week 1 with a matchup against the defending NFC West champions, the San Fransisco 49ers. The 49ers are heading into the 2023 season still without a sure answer at starting quarterback.
In the NFC Championship Game, 'Mr. Irrelevant' Brock Purdy suffered a torn UCL that sidelined him for the rest of the game. If you are a baseball fan, you understand a torn UCL requires 'Tommy John' surgery, but in Purdy's case he was able to avoid that and his expected return will likely be quicker than some people originally though, although it is still unsure if he will be ready to go by the opening week of the season.
The 49ers may be the toughest matchup on the schedule for the Steelers and the uncertainty of who will play quarterback in Week 1 for San Fransisco could lead one to believe Pittsburgh is playing them at the perfect time. As we saw in 2022, the impact T.J. Watt has on the outcome of a football game is tremendous so in all likelihood that he, along with the rest of the defense gets through the preseason healthy, the Steelers will be in a prime spot to start the season 1-0.
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When looking at the rest of the schedule, it also sets up nicely. The Steelers will get the Houston Texans early in the season which could mean two things. They may give the reigns to their offense to rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud from the get-go which will benefit the Steelers playing a rookie quarterback early in the season. With the strong Steelers fanbase in Texas and the Houston area specifically, the young Stroud may be in for a long game in one of his first couple starts in his home stadium.
Between Weeks 4 through 15, it is possible that the Steelers are favored in 8 of those 11 games. All four AFC South opponents are in that stretch along with matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals. This portion of the schedule will give the Steeles a prime opportunity to put themselves in playoff contention into December.
One game in particular that stands out is the Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. It will be interesting to see who ends up being the starting quarterback for Indianapolis at that point in the season. Anthony Richardson was one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the draft but it has been rumored that he will likely be a work in progress his first two years in the NFL.
If the Steelers happen to face Richardson, it could be one of the first starts of his career and they can take advantage yet again facing a young quarterback. The game in Indianapolis will likely be the last game that the Steelers will be favored in before they finish out the 2023 regular season against three top-tier opponents.
Steelers' 2023 Schedule Has Its' Negatives
One thing that could have been better for the Steelers in regards to their upcoming schedule, is when their bye week takes place. Unfortunately, the Steelers have their bye early in the season in Week 6. This puts a significant strain on a team that has a daunting finish to the regular season. The Steelers finish their regular season with three teams that made the postseason in 2022, two of which are road games.
One of those games requires a venture to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks, a team who had a tremendous draft that added to a roster already full of young talent. The Week 6 bye week makes the task in Seattle extra tough for the Steelers, especially because a playoff spot could be on the line in the remaining weeks of the season.
Not only do the Steelers have a long road trip late in the season, but they will have to take on the two-time defending AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals on a short week and then travel once more to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. These three games could either make or break the Steelers' playoff chances.
Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick races to the endzone for a pick-six in the Week 1 victory over the Bengals.
Overall the Steelers' schedule sets up nicely for them to make it back to the playoffs after falling just short in 2022. They are set to have four primetime matchups over the course of the 2023 season and that will give fans all across the NFL a chance to watch Kenny Pickett and Pittsburgh's young offense shine in the bright lights.
What do you think Steeler fans? Do you like the layout of the 2023 schedule? Which games do you plan on making it to this season? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
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