PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Steelers will open the 2023 season at home, hosting the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers last opened at home in 2014 with a win against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are 6-2-1 in season openers. The team also gets to stay at home for Week 2 against Cleveland on Monday Night Football, marking the first time since 1997 they have opened up with back-to-back home games.
The Steelers are also one of several teams to be featured on Thursday Night Football twice in the season, permitted for the first time this season after NFL owners passed a new rule earlier this year. Though they’ll have two short weeks to prepare for the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 and the New England Patriots in Week 14, both games are at home. The Steelers’ second mini-bye also comes before a pivotal four-game stretch to end the season that features three road games and two divisional opponents.
With an early Week 6 bye, the mini-byes sprinkled throughout the season give the Steelers some brief reprieves.
Here's what's in store for the Steelers:
Schedule
Sept. 10: vs. San Francisco
Sept. 18: vs. Cleveland (MNF)
Sept. 24: at Las Vegas (SNF)
Oct. 1: at Houston
Oct. 8: vs. Baltimore
Oct. 15: BYE
Oct. 22: at Rams
Oct. 29: vs. Jacksonville
Nov. 2: vs. Tennessee (TNF)
Nov. 12: vs. Green Bay
Nov. 19: at Cleveland
Nov. 26: at Cincinnati
Dec. 3: vs. Arizona
Dec. 7: vs. New England (TNF)
Dec. 17: at Indianapolis*
Dec. 23: vs. Cincinnati
Dec. 31: at Seattle
Jan. 7: at Baltimore*
*Dates for Weeks 15 and 18 are to be determined
Strength of schedule: 25th hardest
Over/Under: 8.5
Biggest takeaway
A year after rookie Kenny Pickett got thrown into the fire at halftime of a Week 4 loss to the New York Jets, his sophomore campaign appears to start off a bit gentler than his introduction in 2022 when he started 0-4 as a starter against the Bills, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Eagles -- three of those on the road. This time around, he’ll get back-to-back home games to open the season and two prime-time appearances in his first three starts with what projects to be a new-look offensive line after an overhaul in the offseason. Though the Steelers have a fairly easy opening stretch compared to previous seasons, the Week 6 bye creates a 12-game gauntlet to end the season, punctuated by two Thursday Night Football games in Weeks 9 and 14.
Revenge game
There’s not a glaring revenge game on the 2023 season, in part because the Steelers went 1-1 against all three divisional opponents in 2022. They are also not scheduled to take on the Bills or the Eagles, their two most lopsided defeats from last season. Patrick Peterson could get a personal revenge game of sorts when the Steelers take on the Cardinals in Week 13. Though Peterson’s departure from Arizona wasn’t especially acrimonious, the veteran cornerback was critical of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray during the 2022 season for his in-game body language and attitude and started a brief beef between the two.
Bold prediction
The Steelers win all three West Coast games -- at Las Vegas, at L.A. Rams and at Seattle. After a 2022 season where the Steelers didn’t leave Eastern Standard Time, they are going to put in 16,525 miles in 2023. But even if they’re playing far from home, the Steelers fan base travels notoriously well and has a history of taking over West Coast venues, giving the road team a rare edge.