NFL.com: Steelers face toughest schedule of any team this season

The Steelers took one look at the official schedule released Wednesday night and probably winced. There’s nothing anyone can do but play the games each week. But it’s going to be difficult.

In fact, a writer for NFL.com ranked the Steelers’ schedule as the toughest in the NFL. Of course, this is as of mid-May. All sorts of issues can cut the collective legs off a team. For example, no one figured last year’s Bengals wouldn’t make the playoffs. But then Joe Burrow got hurt. Twice.

Gennaro Filice, a deputy editor of NFL.com, ranked the Pittsburgh schedule as the most difficult, ahead of other teams like the Bills and Browns.

Here’s his reasoning:

The Steelers must spend their first two weeks on the road. In fact, they only have one home game in the opening month. And yet, it’s how the schedule closes that ultimately lands Pittsburgh in the No. 1 spot here. Remember how the AFC North was the best division in football last season, with all four teams posting winning records and three hitting the playoffs? Well, the Steelers don’t even play their first divisional foe until Week 11. Yup, the schedule makers packed all six AFC North bouts into the final eight weeks. The other two games in this BEASTLY back half? A trip across the state to Philadelphia and a short-week Christmas affair with the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

“Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned a couple of high-profile Sunday nighters, with the Cowboys and Jets storming the Steel City during one 15-day span in October. Pittsburgh significantly revamped the roster this offseason — particularly on offense, with a new coordinator (Arthur Smith), two new quarterbacks (Russell Wilson and Justin Fields) and three potential rookie starters (linemen Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, as well as wide receiver Roman Wilson). Can Mike Tomlin’s new-look Steelers survive this gauntlet?”

The AFC North was the toughest division in the league last season. There’s no reason to think it won’t be again. Here’s how the NFL made the Steelers life more difficult. Pittsburgh doesn’t play an opponent in their division until Nov. 17. Then it’s a road contest against Cleveland for a Thursday Night Football game. After that, it’s on to Cincinnati for the Bengals, Dec. 1. The Browns head to Pittsburgh for a Dec. 8 date.

From weeks 11-18, the Steelers face the Ravens, Browns and Bengals, twice. This means games against some of the best QBs in the AFC — Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson. There’s also a date against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Then there’s a contest between the Steelers and Eagles.

Team president Art Rooney II acknowledged the difficulty of the schedule.

“You never take anything for granted,” Rooney said. “The teams in our division are all tough. Some people would say we have the toughest division in football, and I probably would agree with that. They’ll all be tough games. It will be a challenge.”

Plus, the Steelers are revamping their offense with new coordinator Arthur Smith. The quarterback likely will be Russell Wilson. If not Wilson, it will be Justin Fields. Neither were with the team last season. There are question marks with the offense, but there’s no question about the schedule.