Which team has the toughest schedule in the 2021 NFL season?

The 2021 NFL season is quickly approaching as groups gear as much as place themselves able to win the Tremendous Bowl and hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Among the many multitude of groups contending for a championship, some could endure a extra rigorous season solely as a result of their harder schedule.

Each season, NFL schedules are predicated on every staff’s success – or lack thereof – the 12 months prior. Sadly, there are a number of franchises which have it tougher than others this 12 months.

With out additional ado, the staff with the hardest schedule this season: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers’ spectacular 2020 season had ramifications

Pittsburgh received off to a red-hot begin final season at 11-0 earlier than shedding 4 of their final 5 and being bounced out of the primary spherical by division rival Cleveland Browns, ending their promising season pretty early. Nonetheless, their 11-0 begin finally equated to a 12-4 document, which led the AFC North and positioned second within the AFC.

With the AFC North already being arguably the hardest division within the NFL, the Steelers can even be tasked with enjoying division winners from their convention (Payments, Chiefs, Titans).

A tall order for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh’s 2021 opponents will function: the Buffalo Payments (13-3), Inexperienced Bay Packers (13-3), Seattle Seahawks (12-4), Cleveland Browns (11-5) 2x, Los Angeles Chargers (7-9), Baltimore Ravens (11-5) 2x, Tennessee Titans (11-5) and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (15-2).

This contains ending their season with a four-game slate in opposition to the Titans, Chiefs, and division rivals Browns and Ravens. Any schedule that includes Professional Bowl quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson ought to warrant immense concern for any NFL franchise.

Yikes.

The numbers will not be in Pittsburgh’s favor within the 2021 NFL season

Total, Pittsburgh has the hardest schedule heading into this season at .574. This document not solely offers them probably the most tough schedule numerically, however makes them certainly one of two groups (the opposite being the Ravens) with a energy of schedule over .550. Moreover, groups with the toughest schedule have missed the playoffs the final 4 seasons.

This season shall be a tricky one for the Steelers, particularly with Ben Roethlisberger coming into his 18th season as a professional on the age of 39. He’ll enter the season with a loaded broad receiving corps of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and Dionatae Johnson, together with the perfect, most dynamic operating again within the 2021 NFL Draft in Najee Harris, forming a multi-faceted offensive assault.

For Pittsburgh to succeed in the NFL postseason and contend for a championship, they’re going to have to fireside on all cylinders with their ferocious protection. The protection will rely closely on Defensive Participant of the 12 months runner-up T.J Watt and Cam Heyward, in addition to All-Professional security Minkah Fitzpatrick, to control the again finish.

Contemplating the entire above, Pittsburgh has been dealt the worst hand within the NFL; a hefty worth to pay after such a profitable season. Fortuitously, nevertheless, Mike Tomlin and Large Ben are not any strangers to adversity as their partnership enters its fifteenth season. That being mentioned, this 2021 schedule nonetheless seems to be a frightening job.