3 games to watch in Week 5 which give perspective on the Steelers future opponents

With the Pittsburgh Steelers once again playing at 1 PM on Sunday, they will be playing at the same time as a number of other key matchups. Additionally, there is another prime time matchup involving some of the Steelers upcoming opponents. When Steelers Nation looks to see what else has gone on around the NFL, there are a few matchups which could give some insight into things to come.

First off, lets check out how the three games from last week ended up. Two of the games were determined by multiple scores while the other came down to the end. When it comes to the betting lines for the game, the following information is the current consensus spread this week as reported by DraftKings Sportsbook.

Miami Dolphins (15) at Cincinnati Bengals (27)

It’s difficult to talk about this game with the cloud of the Tua Tagovailoa situation hanging over it. The Dolphins didn’t seem like the same team after the horrific scene on the field. Once again, the team that has to travel for a Thursday game, this time even a day sooner due to the hurricane in Florida, is at a huge disadvantage and this game did not live up to the hype of what many believed it would be.

Buffalo Bills (23) at Baltimore Ravens (20)

How many times is John Harbaugh going to insist on taking the big chance and having it backfire on him? It started with going for the two-point conversion against the Steelers last year in Pittsburgh which sent their season in a spiral where they didn’t win another game. When you don’t score any points in a half and you have a chance to take the lead at the end with a field goal, going for it on fourth down at the 2-yard line against the NFL’s best defense (in terms of yard surrendered) probably isn’t the best plan. It cost them again and I, for one, love to see it.

Kansas City Chiefs (41) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31)

The story going into this game was how phenomenal the Buccaneers defense is in 2022. For at least one week, that proved not to be the case as Kansas City put up 41 on Tampa. Then again, it’s not like all offenses are on the level of KC.

For Week 5, here are the three games which could give the most perspective on what the Steelers can expect with some of their future opponents:

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

Sunday at 1:00 PM on CBS
Spread: MIA (-3)

The Miami Dolphins are on the horizon with Pittsburgh Steelers in a couple weeks, and even though they are likely to be without Tua Tagovailoa this week, seeing how they play against the Jets who just pulled one off against the Steelers this past week is going to tell a decent story.

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday 1:00 PM on FOX
Spread: TAM (-9)

The Steelers play Atlanta after the bye, but the Buccaneers are their next opponent. After seeing Kansas City put up over 40 points on the Bucs last week, how will they bounce back against the Falcons? This game may be a better indication of the quality of the Steelers next opponent, particularly the defense, than what we saw last week.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Sunday at 8:20 PM on NBC
Spread: BAL (-3)

Neither of these teams are only immediate horizon, but the Steelers have three games remaining against these opponents and this game will likely determine the leader in the AFC North with everybody else giving chase. For that reason alone, this game is important to note.

So there are the three main matchups which can give Steelers fans an indication as to the quality of upcoming opponents in 2022. With each passing week, a little bit more understanding about each team is able to be determined.

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 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers? Make sure you vote in the poll and give your thoughts in the comments below.