The Steelers have a tough schedule in 2022, but they should be able to stick around an even record.
The Steelers 2022 schedule will see them play each division rival twice, the AFC East, the NFC South, and a couple of other clubs that were added into the mix. It is not going to be an easy ride for this club that has no expectations entering the year. They are not expected to make the playoffs, and most do not believe that this team can win more than six games.
Looking at their upcoming slate of games throughout the 18-week season, there will be a lot of ups and downs. The rollercoaster ride of emotions will continue this year for the fans that cheer on the black and gold. This will be Mike Tomlin’s toughest challenge yet as Head Coach of this franchise.
Week 1, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals: 27-16 loss (0-1)
Week one is a tough matchup for the Steelers as they play a high-powered offense on the road that will score points on any defense in the NFL. The offense will struggle to move the ball in this one with all their new faces littered across the lineup.
Expect Mitch Trubisky to play a safe game without a ton of turnovers, but that will cause the offense to sputter and not move the ball down the field. A couple of late scores via field goals will make the score seem closer than the game will be.
Week 2, New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 24-23 win (1-1)
This is going to be a tough game to gauge as both clubs seem like they are in the same boat. Both are currently teetering on irrelevancy and playoff contender. Pittsburgh’s defense should be able to create some turnovers and set up the offense to score points in this one. Mac Jones has not looked amazing in the preseason and that should lower the morale of the Patriots for this season.
Week 3, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns: 21-17 win (2-1)
Deshaun Watson will still be suspended for this game and that will give the black and gold advantage. It will be a closer game than many probably will predict, but this offense will have issues against the Cleveland Browns.
The defense that the Browns possess is no joke and this offensive line is still a question mark. Expect the Steelers to still emerge victorious in a close game on the road in front of a hostile environment.
Week 4, New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 23-20 win (3-1)
The New York Jets will still be a bad team this year, but they have improved since the Steelers played them last. Zach Wilson will turn over the ball in crunch time and that will secure the win for the home team in this one.
It is going to be a close game that will see Trubisky and the offense starting to show some staleness that could cause some to start to wonder about Kenny Pickett. A 3-1 record for Pittsburgh would be a solid start for this club, despite the offense lacking consistency at this juncture of the schedule.
Week 5, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bulls: 30-17 loss (3-2)
This next stretch of games is going to be tough battles for the black and gold to overcome. The Buffalo Bills will be out for revenge after their shocking loss to the Steelers in last year’s season opener.
Pittsburgh fails to have any substance on offense and Trubisky forces a couple of throws that result in turnovers. The Bills pass rush will be after the quarterback all game and force the Steelers defense to stay on the field for most of the contest.
Week 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 28-10 loss (3-3)
Tom Brady comes back to town as this could be his last time playing in Pittsburgh, at least that will be the hope for most Steelers fans. Brady has constantly beaten the black and gold throughout his career and he will continue that trend as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be Super Bowl contenders yet again. This will probably be around the time that fans start to clamor for change and Mike Tomlin overrules their squabbles.
Week 7, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Miami Dolphins: 20-17 loss (3-4)
The wheels are starting to fall off at this point for the black and gold as they lose to an average Miami Dolphins team. Their defense kept them in this game, but the Dolphins were able to go down the field and score a last second field goal. The Steelers have some slow cornerbacks and that will not match up well against Tyreek Hill. The offense continues to sputter as the losing streak continues further.
Week 8, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles: 17-14 loss (3-5)
Another tough road game to finish out the first half of the schedule for Pittsburgh before their bye week. They take on the talented Philadelphia Eagles, who have a deep team across the board. Quarterback is still a question mark with Jalen Hurts, but that defensive line from the birds is going to be too hard for the Steelers to manage. That is going to cause a lot of issues for Trubisky and give him time to make reads down the field.
Week 9: Bye week
During bye week is where things could get interesting for the Steelers. Trubisky would be having his name under severe fire from fans if these predictions became true. The offense has not been able to put up good numbers in four weeks, and that game was barely a win.
Mike Tomlin will need to decide to go with Trubisky or Pickett going forward. He has the week to look at both options and decides to try and spark his team by naming Pickett the starter going forward, but he will say he will make the decision on a starter on a weekly basis.
Week 10, New Orleans Saints @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 28-21 win (4-5)
The first-round pick gets his first start of his career in week ten as the club hosts the New Orleans Saints. Both clubs are on the same wavelength now, but the Steelers should have a new sense of urgency with a new signal caller on the field. Pickett should have a good start to his career with a big showing against the Saints.
Week 11, Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 27-23 loss (4-6)
The Bengals are going to be a good team for a long time, but this is where Pittsburgh could begin to show some fight. They lose the game, but it is a super competitive contest that sees Joe Burrow with the ball in his hands last, which allows Cincinnati to beat the black and gold again. Pickett shows some spark for the offense and keeps them hopeful for the future.
Week 12, Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 31-24 win (5-6)
The Indianapolis Colts are a team that many expect to win their division before any games are played. They have talented players on their roster, but the Steelers have been able to handle business against this team throughout their recent history. It will be a tough game for Pittsburgh, but Pickett finally emerges and shows everyone why he was taken with the club’s first pick.
Week 13, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons: 33-14 win (6-6)
The Atlanta Falcons are a bad team and the Steelers should be able to handle their business against this team without much concern. Pickett will have another nice game that starts to boost his chances toward the top rookie award handed out by the NFL after the season concludes. Expect the defense to have a field day of sacks and turnovers to get back to a .500 record.
Week 14, Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 24-21 win (7-6)
Pittsburgh makes it three wins in a row and five wins out of their previous six games since the bye week. Pickett is making magic happen as the club is rallying around the rookie quarterback. He has been able to use his mobility as an asset and keep the offense chugging along. The black and gold finally get back to over .500 for the first time since week five.
Week 15, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Carolina Panthers: 27-17 win (8-6)
The offensive output keeps moving along against Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers. This game might be closer than many might think, but the defense makes a couple of big plays that stop the final score from getting any closer. Pittsburgh makes it four wins in a row and many around the NFL might be thinking this club might be the hottest team in the league.
Week 16, Las Vegas Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 27-25 loss (8-7)
The Raiders return to town and continue their winning ways against the Steelers. They squeak out a close victory on the road, which might derail any playoff hope that Pittsburgh might have had. Derek Carr was just able to outduel Pickett in this highly offensive battle. This would be the first loss for the black and gold since week 11 concluded.
Week 17, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens: 26-23 overtime loss (8-8)
This is where all hope of a playoff appearance falls apart for Pittsburgh as they have a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Just a couple of weeks ago many thought this could be a sneaky wild card team, and now they will not even get to the tournament. This club was just not consistent enough over the weeks leading up to this and will try to end on a positive note against the rival Browns in their final game.
Week 18, Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers: 30-20 win (9-8)
The Steelers end their year on a high note as they beat the Browns handily. Mike Tomlin can keep his never having a losing season streak alive for another year. Pittsburgh can put their best performance out onto the field and conclude the season on a high note. This will be a tough game, but the black and gold pull away with a late fourth quarter touchdown to secure the win.
Overall analysis of the 2022 season predictions
It is going to be a rollercoaster for the upcoming season, one that will be centered around the quarterbacks. Expect many to call for Trubisky’s head if he has a bad game or if the offense cannot get things going. If there is a stretch of games where the offense is playing poorly, Pickett will get the start.
That transfer at quarterback should lead to a new moxy for the Steelers and will get them back on track. This is a borderline playoff club, but it could also be a team that has a top ten pick in the draft if things go sideways. They should be able to finish the season strong and make a push for the playoffs but will come up short besides staying above the losing mark.
The Steelers schedule is going to be tough and lots of things could change between now and the conclusion of the season. This team is not perfect, but they should stay competitive in 2022.