3 games to watch in Week 9 which give perspective on the Steelers future opponents

It was a long 15 days to go without watching the Pittsburgh Steelers play a football game. And, unfortunately, they made fans wait an extra 15 minutes until they decided to start playing in the second quarter. But after all was said and done, the Steelers left the field with a 27-14 victory and instantly turned around to prepare for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

One major question which still remains with the 2019 Steelers is trying to figure out where they truly stand among other NFL teams. They have lost to high-quality opponents and beaten inferior ones. So where do the Steelers really fall in the whole scheme of the NFL? Are there other games other than the Steelers versus the Colts which can help us figure this out?

For Week 9, here are the three games in which two teams on the Steelers’ schedule face each other:

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Thursday at 8:20 PM on NFL Network, FOX

Although it is one of the NFL games with the largest pointspread for Week 9, it is an interesting matchup as the 49ers travel to Arizona. The Cardinals started off the year with a tie against the Detroit Lions before dropping their next three games. Turning it around to win three games in a row, albeit to teams with losing records, the Cardinals ended up getting beat pretty bad 31-9 as Drew Brees returned to the New Orleans Saints. With the 49er still undefeated, if Arizona can give them a game it could be an indication as to which direction the Cardinals are trending when the Steelers travel to Phoenix in Week 14.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

Sunday 1:00 PM on CBS

First and foremost, I must say one thing: Do not watch this game! Not only is it at the same time as the Steelers play, it’s two teams at the very bottom of the league. But with the Steelers coming off a win over the Dolphins and facing the Jets in Week 16 in New Jersey, this game could tell a little something about the Steelers future opponent. But at this point, the game with the Jets is a little far out to care very much. Obviously, this was the only other game in Week 9 where two teams in the Steeler schedule faced off.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

Sunday at 8:20 PM on NBC

This is a big one. I’m not telling you how to vote, but come on! This game is currently the most narrow point spread for the New England Patriots in the 2019 season. Yet, while going on the road, the Patriots are still favored by more than a field goal against another division-leading team. As much as I would like to see the Patriots fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, the Steelers need the Ravens to lose to opponents to which the Steelers have already lost. So New England taking down the Ravens would be one of the necessary steps for the Steelers to attempt to climb back into the AFC North race.

So there are the three other NFL matchups which can give Steelers’ fans an indication as to where they fall in the NFL hierarchy, and also the quality of upcoming opponents in 2019. While each week is a different game and upsets due to certain matchups are bound to happen, the greater the body of work each team puts on the field can help to draw better conclusions.

So which of these games on Sunday will be the most telling as it pertains to the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers? Make sure you vote in the poll and give your thoughts in the comments below.