3 games to watch in Week 1 which give perspective on the Steelers future opponents

With the Pittsburgh Steelers kicking off their season on Sunday, there will be a multitude of games going on at the same time. When the smoke clears and Steelers Nation looks to see what else has gone on around the NFL, there are a few matchups between two teams the Steelers will face later in the season.

In the future, we’ll recap these game during next week’s article. For Week 1, here are the three games which could give the most perspective on what the Steelers can expect with some of their future opponents:

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday at 1:00 PM on FOX

Although the Steelers won’t travel to Minnesota until December, the Cincinnati Bengals are the Steelers Week 3 opponent and their first AFC North matchup of the season. Being able to check out how Joe Burrow looks coming back from injury will help the Steelers with a short term answer while being able to file away information on the Vikings for a later date and as they take on the rest of the AFC North.

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday 4:25 PM on CBS

Even though neither of these teams are on the Steelers schedule until after their bye week, it is seeing an AFC North rival take on the two-time defending AFC champion. With Kansas City setting the gold standard in the AFC recently, perhaps we will be able to see if the Browns are the real deal or simply over-hyped yet again.

Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders

Monday at 8:15 PM on ESPN, ABC

Steelers fans have a tendency to peek in on the AFC North, particularly that purple team that lies to the east. Seeing the Ravens in prime time is not always something to get excited about, but the fact they take on the Steelers Week 2 opponent in the Las Vegas Raiders will definitely make this matchup worth tuning in on Monday night.

So there are the three main matchups which can give Steelers fans an indication as to the quality of upcoming opponents in 2021. Not always knowing what to expect for Week 1, the first glimpse of teams playing a full 60 minutes may change some narratives.

Obviously the Steelers game itself will tell fans the most about the season. But 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.