When the 2026 NFL schedule was released back in May, nearly everyone thought the Pittsburgh Steelers had a daunting second-half slate. With the Week 9 bye, we were confident that Mike Tomlin's team would have to come away with an impressive record in the first half of the year before facing a run of playoff opponents.
But all of a sudden, the Steelers schedule in the second half of the season looks far less intimidating.
Some of these contests we basically already chalked up as losses. But as the Steelers continue to win football games and their upcoming opponents struggle, these five teams look more beatable than anyone expected.
These 2025 playoff teams now look less daunting in the back half of the Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule
Philadelphia Eagles (Week 11)
The Steelers have always struggled with the Eagles, and they haven't won a game in Philadelphia since October 20, 1965. Meanwhile, the Eagles were coming off an NFC East title, and their roster was expected to be strong again this season. But everything changed on a whim.
Future Hall of Fame tackle Lane Johnson suddenly retired, while Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts is out indefinitely due to blood clots. The Eagles also have a plethora of underperforming players, as they've now lost five straight football games.
Their only wins came in the first two weeks of the season against the Commanders and Titans, and they won those games by a combined six points. The Eagles aren't just bad this year; they're one of the worst teams when it comes to both offensive and defensive EPA.
With a backup and an offense that struggles to move the ball, there's more than enough reason to believe the Steelers could beat the Eagles in November.
Denver Broncos (Week 12)
Let's give credit where it's due: the Denver Broncos found ways to win tough games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Seattle Seahawks. This makes them potentially more threatening than the rest of the names on this list. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are a daunting opponent.
The Broncos have multi-score losses against the Chiefs and 49ers. Ironically, they're nearly identical to the Steelers in offense and defense EPA and are worse in terms of total DVOA (9th compared to 12th), per FTN Fantasy.
Despite their 5-2 record entering Week 8 and their wins against contending opponents, quarterback Bo Nix is struggling, and they can't pass the football with any sort of explosion or consistency. The Broncos are outplaying their record, and they don't look like the same opponent we thought they would be.
Houston Texans (Week 13)
After boasting the league's top defense last year and humiliating the Steelers in a 30-6 win over Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last year, we all assumed that this would be one of the hardest games on their schedule. However, the Houston Texans are nothing close to the team we thought they were.
Last year, it was an elite defense carrying the offense; this year, it's the offense doing everything in its power to make up for a struggling defense. Who could have seen that coming?
Houston's defense ranks 24th in EPA per play, 21st in drop-back EPA, and 28th in rush EPA. This isn't the same team we saw last year, per RBSDM Stats.
Baltimore Ravens (Week 15, Week 18)
The Ravens are a completely different team depending on whether MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson plays. But even if he does, Baltimore has a ton of roster turnover, and their defense this season is suspect.
If the Steelers can game plan to stop Zay Flowers—their lone threat in the passing game—they'll have a great chance to take down this divisional opponent at least once in their two matchups in the second half of the season.
This rivalry always makes for close contests, but the Ravens are only +2 in point differential entering Week 8, while their defense ranks 19th in EPA per play and 20th in success rate. They are a QB-reliant team with a plethora of talent gaps on their roster.
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