Steelers Face Brutal Five-Week Stretch That Will Determine Their Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a particularly rough part of their schedule that they're going to have to grind through.

Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers better hope they have some wins stacked up following their Week 9 bye.

Over the first eight weeks of the season heading into their break, the Steelers will face the likes of the Atlanta Falcons (Week 1), Cincinnati Bengals (Week 3), Indianapolis Colts (Week 5) and Cleveland Browns (Week 8) at Acrisure Stadium while also hitting the road for the NFL's inaugural Paris Game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 and a Thursday Night Football showdown in Cleveland during Week 4.

After that initial run of winnable contests for Pittsburgh, however, the competition level ramps up significantly, and how the team performs will make or break its 2026 season.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes the ball past Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Toughest Part of Steelers' Schedule

After taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on the road on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, which is no walk in the park in its own right, the Steelers have a particularly harsh five-week stretch that begins with the battle of the Keystone State against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pittsburgh has never won in four tries at Lincoln Financial Field and hasn't earned a victory in the city of Philadelphia since 1965, but that's what it'll be tasked with accomplishing during Week 11.

In Week 12, the Steelers will host the Denver Broncos, who went 14-3 and led the NFL in sacks in 2025, for a Black Friday matinee.

The Houston Texans, who blew out Pittsburgh 30-6 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last year, are then set to come into town for a Sunday Night Football bout at Acrisure Stadium in Week 13.

The Steelers will have a third-consecutive primetime game in Week 14 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium before traveling to Baltimore and going to battle against the Ravens in Week 15.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) rushes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

How Must Steelers Perform During This Stretch?

Asking Pittsburgh to finish with a winning record during this span feels unreasonable, but it's not impossible.

The Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL, Houston, Denver and Jacksonville all finished with 12 wins or more last season, and the Ravens remain a Super Bowl contender with Jesse Minter as their head coach despite their down 8-9 campaign in 2025.

If the Steelers could come away with just two victories against that crop of teams, they'd likely be sitting rather pretty in terms of their chances to make the playoffs.

It's possible Pittsburgh could get away with a 1-4 record during that stretch if it really cleans up against its other opponents, though an 0-5 mark might be too much of a hole to climb out of.

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