Steelers' Ben Skowronek Detailed Exactly Which Games Are "Circled On The Schedule"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very interesting schedule for the 2026 season. They have yet another gauntlet to begin the season, and then a five-game stretch occurs when all of them will be considered big-time contests, so the whole world will be watching. Before that even happens, the team will play against the New Orleans Saints in the first ever NFL game happening in Paris, France. In total, Pittsburgh will be playing in six games where no other NFL event will be going on at the same time. They will be seen a lot on National Television. 

After the schedule was released, wide receiver and special teamer Ben Skowronek was asked about all these games where the Steelers will be in the spotlight. 

"I like playing at night," Skowronek said. "I don't know why I've always liked it. It reminds me of Friday Night Lights in high school. In the NFL it gives an opportunity for your peers to watch. It's just a lot of fun. The environment's always good. Those games are always circled on the schedule for me."

Of the six standalone games that the Steelers have, four of them will be under the lights. The very first one will be a game that has plagued Pittsburgh for years: a road contest on Thursday Night Football against a division rival. The hope is that a new coaching staff can fix this curse, but until it can get the road win against the lowly Cleveland Browns, fans will remain skeptical and worried. Odds are that contest will not be super fun. 

The Steelers will also have two games on Sunday Night Football and one on Monday Night Football, all during that aforementioned stretch of standalone games. Skowronek will definitely get plenty of chances to play under the lights and go back to his days as a high school star. However, he won't have a lot of time to take in that moment, as he will have to lock in quickly. None of these primetime games are against "cupcake" opponents.

On top of that, the AFC North could easily come down to the wire yet again. If that happens, the Steelers' Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens in Maryland could end up becoming a primetime game. Pittsburgh has played in a bunch of season finales that have been flexed to nighttime, so this could easily happen. There could be five primetime contests and seven total standalone games when all is said and done. 

Steelers Hope New Coaching Staff Can Undo 2025 Woes

The Steelers lost their first three primetime games in 2025, and they did not look particularly competitive in either one, especially on defense. All three of those losses came in a four-game stretch as well, similar to the group of big games that the organization will have when it comes out of the bye week. That was also the beginning of a really rough run where they lost five out of seven games. Pittsburgh and primetime did not seem to mix too well. 

The Steelers did rebound to beat the lowly Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football, as a much better stretch of games resulted in Pittsburgh facing Baltimore in the season finale to determine who will the AFC North. A shanked field goal in the final seconds allowed the Black and Gold to clinch its first division crown since 2020 and go to the postseason, where it got obliterated in another Monday game to officially end the season.

If the Steelers want to show that they are a true threat in the AFC during the regular season, they will have to prove it when all eyes are on them. With six standalone games scheduled and possibly more on the way, they can't afford to falter constantly in these massive moments. The stars come out when the lights are brightest. Hopefully, those stars play in western Pennsylvania.

What do you think about Skowronek circling the primetime games on his schedule? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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