3 games to watch in Week 7 which give perspective on the Steelers’ future opponents

With the Pittsburgh Steelers on their bye week, it will be a great chance for fans to either take a break or, even better, check out some other action around the league. When Steelers Nation looks to see what else has gone on around the NFL in Week 7, there are a few matchups between two teams the Steelers will see later in the season or have already faced. First off, lets check out how the three games from last week ended up. This week, two of the three games were decided by more than a touchdown.

Cincinnati Bengals (34) at Detroit Lions (11)

Although I thought Detroit would give a little bit more of a fight like they did against the Ravens, this game was put away early. Maybe Cincinnati is the real deal. Maybe they aren’t. After six weeks, I’m still not sure.

Los Angeles Chargers (6) at Baltimore Ravens (34)

I think I choked on my popcorn that I said to get ready for this one. This game was not even worth watching. The Chargers looked like a team coming from the West Coast and playing at 1 PM Eastern. As for the Ravens, winning ugly games has given them a nice record, but there was no need for anything ugly in this one.

Arizona Cardinals (37) at Cleveland Browns (14)

Not only did Arizona take it to the Browns pretty good, Cleveland is now dealing with major injuries. I don’t even know who’s going to be available for them this week, let alone in Week 8 when they take on the Steelers. The bottom line is they didn’t put up much of a fight at home to the NFL’s last unbeaten team.

For Week 7, here are the three games which could give the most perspective on what the Steelers can expect with some of their future opponents:

Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns

Thursday at 8:20 PM on FOX, NFLN

This game is interesting because it pairs a recent opponent of the Steelers with their next opponent. The Cleveland Browns are banged up and quarterback Baker Mayfield will not play in this game. Also, neither of Cleveland’s to big two running backs will play. There are a lot of questions about which players will be available, but then they have a mini bye week before they face Pittsburgh. The most intriguing thing will be if they are going into their matchup against the Steelers below .500 and on a losing streak, or if they can get back to their winning ways and overcome their injuries.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Sunday at 1:00 PM on CBS

Finally, there’s another AFC North matchup in 2021! This time the Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens. If the Bengals make it a game, or even pull out the victory, it will be difficult to tell if they are truly contenders or if Baltimore is not as good as some think. But if the opposite happens, those questions will more likely be answered.

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans

Sunday at 1:00 PM on CBS

Believe it or not, this is the only other matchup in Week 7 between two teams the Steelers will face down the road. Although neither matchup is until December, both teams are jockeying for position in the AFC and this victory will go a long way for one team.

So there are the three main matchups which can give Steelers fans an indication as to the quality of upcoming opponents in 2021. As team get more games under their belt, it’s a little easier to establish expectations.

Which of these other games will be the most telling as it pertains to the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers? Make sure you vote in the poll and give your thoughts in the comments below.