In May, the NFL handed down the toughest schedule of the upcoming season to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not only do the Steelers start the 2024 regular season with three of their first four opponents on the road, but the second half of the season is one of the most brutal in the NFL.
It’s a backloaded schedule, featuring no AFC North matchups during the first eight weeks until two back-to-back divisional showdowns against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and, again, Cleveland. Pittsburgh takes on the Philadelphia Eagles, Ravens and reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs before closing out the regular season with Cincinnati in Week 18.
It sounds like something cooked up for a particularly juicy in-season “Hard Knocks.”
Steelers President Art Rooney said what we’re all thinking during an in-game broadcast booth interview with Charlie Batch and Bob Pompeani. “It’s not how I would’ve drawn it up if it was up to me.”
That’s putting it politely.
