Primetime game No. 1: Steelers @ Bengals
The final game I have projected in primetime for Pittsburgh is the Steelers playing the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Last year, Mike Tomlin's team was supposed to host the Bengals in primetime on November 20th. However, due to Pittsburgh's poor start to the season, they flexed this game in favor of the Chiefs and Chargers contest that was expected to draw a bigger audience.
Now that the Steelers should be improved from where they were early in the 2022 season, they could prove to be in much better shape by the time this game is played. Who knows. Maybe Pittsburgh will even have a chip on their shoulder after the NFL determined they weren't good enough to keep their primetime slot in this contest last season.
The Bengals are the biggest threat in the AFC North, and arguably one of the biggest threats in the entire NFL right now. This would be an underdog story for Kenny Pickett in the Steelers, but if the defense can keep Joe Burrow in check, Pickett will have a chance to build his reputation in perhaps their hardest game of the season at Cincinnati.
It's hard to tell exactly how many primetime games Pittsburgh will hold next season and which opponents they will come against. However, due to quarterback matchups and AFC North rivalries, they could be poised for primetime slots on the Steelers schedule in 2023.