It’s been a long time since the Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the season with a game as big as this season. The Steelers draw the New England Patriots in Week One on the road fresh off the Patriots Super Bowl win. But Steelers president Art Rooney II wasn’t going to get caught up in the hype when he spoke to Steelers’ team writer Bob Labriola about the schedule.
We had some hints that this could happen, so it wasn’t a surprise. We’ve been there before, we’ve done this before. It’s always a challenge, but we certainly know the scene up there. We’ve played in New England, we’ve played the Patriots a lot over the last few years, and so it’s almost as though they’re becoming a division opponent. It’s familiar territory for us, and we’ve got to be ready to go in primetime against the champs on opening weekend. What better way to test where you are?
Anyone remember the last big opening weekend game for the Steelers? It was back in 2015 and who did Pittsburgh play? The Patriots of course. The Steelers fell that week 28-21 and went on to a 10-6 season.
The Steelers beat New England 17-10 last season but this one is on the road and in prime time. The Steelers are notorious for slow starts but there’s no margin for error this season.
