The 2021 opponents for the Pittsburgh Steelers are known. And, at least on paper and based on current record alone, next season figures to be more difficult for the Steelers than 2020.

Twelve of the 16 opponents known for 2021 had a record of 7-9 or better this season and none had more than 11 losses. That contrasts to this recently-completed regular season in which six games were against teams that lost at least 11 games and nine of the 16 games were against teams that finished with a losing record.

In 2021, among the Steelers’ 16 known game opponents (the NFL could opt to add a 17th game for next season) are just six against teams that had 2020 losing records — two, just barely so (the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers were 7-9).

The aggregate winning percentage of the opponents for the 16 known games the Steelers are scheduled to play next season is .558. Their 16 opponents this season combined for a .474 winning percentage.

The collective bargaining agreement reached last year between the NFL and NFLPA allows the league to add a 17th regular-season game as soon as 2021. Though the league has not yet announced definitively that it will, it did announce last month that a prospective 17th game would be an inter-conference meeting based on the previous season’s standings. That implies, in the Steelers’ case, a 17th game in 2021 would be against a first-place team from an NFC division (they are already playing all four teams from the NFC North).

Regardless of whether a 17th game is added, the remainder of the NFL schedule sticks with the format that has been in place since the most recent divisional alignment in 2002: each team plays home-and-home with three division rivals, and the divisions annually rotate in playing each of another full division in each conference (in the Steelers’ case for 2021, it’s the AFC West and NFC North). That leaves two annual opponents that are based off the prior year’s standings: the same-placing finisher against the other two divisions in your conference. In the Steelers’ case, that means the first-place teams from the AFC East and AFC South.

Steelers 2021 opponents (2020 record in parentheses; dates and times will be released in the spring):

Home – Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1), Cleveland Browns (11-5), Baltimore Ravens (11-5), Denver Broncos (5-11), Las Vegas Raiders (8-8), Chicago Bears (8-8), Detroit Lions (5-11), Tennessee Titans (11-5)

Away – Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Vikings (7-9), Chargers (7-9), Kansas City Chiefs (14-2), Green Bay Packers (13-3), Buffalo Bills (13-3)

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