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

With the Pittsburgh Steelers continuing their season on Sunday, there will still 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 in Week 3, there are a few matchups either between two teams the Steelers will face later in the season or a team they place in the very near future.

First off, lets check out how the three games from last week ended up. All three games came down to the wire with the largest margin of victory being three points.

Cincinnati Bengals (17) at Chicago Bears (20)

I said last week if the Bengals won this game I didn’t know if it would tell us very much, but if they lost it would mean more. After the Bears got embarrassed by the Rams in Week 1 and the Bengals topped the Vikings, this was Cincinnati’s opportunity to show they were a contender in the AFC North. By falling to the Bears, Cincinnati has to wait until Week 3 against the Steelers to show if they’re going to be in contention.

Tennessee Titans (33) at Seattle Seahawks (30) (OT)

Tennessee was ready to drop to 0–2 on the season and be in real trouble. Instead, they erased a 15-point halftime deficit, mainly thanks to a Seahawks missed extra point, and pulled the game off in overtime. More than how the Titans will stay in the AFC race, this game showed the Steelers Week 6 opponent has the potential to surrender a lead.

Kansas City Chiefs (35) at Baltimore Ravens (36)

Am I surprised the Baltimore Ravens are 1–1 after two weeks of the season? I am not. Am I surprised with the game they lost in the game they won? Yes I am. The Chiefs blew an opportunity to take the lead late and still almost had a shot to make up for it had Baltimore not taken the chance of going for it on fourth down. To say Steelers fans weren’t jealous of the decision would be an understatement.

For Week 3, here are the three games which could give the most perspective on what the Steelers can expect with some of their future opponents:

Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns

Sunday at 1:00 PM on FOX

The Steelers face these two teams on back-to-back weeks coming out of there bye. Piecing together Chicago’s win over Cincinnati, how the Steelers play against the Bengals this Sunday, and the results of this game might give an indication as to how close to competition is in the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions

Sunday 1:00 PM on CBS

I don’t really look for this to be much of a game, but the Steelers do face both of these opponents later in the season. I fully expect to Baltimore to take care of business in the Motor City. But if they don’t, I’m not sure anyone will know what to think if this Raven’s team.

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers

Sunday at 8:20 PM on NBC

Although the Steelers do not face the San Francisco 49ers this season, the fact that the Steelers’ Week 4 opponent plays in prime time where fans can check out the trajectory of the Packers will give a good indication as to their matchup the following Sunday in Green Bay. After struggling against the Saints, who ended up laying an egg in Week 2, Green Bay defeated a Detroit team who may not be a very formidable opponent. Ultimately, this game will probably give the best picture of what type of team Steelers will face at Lambeau.

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.

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.