Steelers have easiest strength of schedule in first quarter of the regular season

Cue the Pittsburgh Steelers fans talking about how the team can’t beat poor opponents.

I’m not saying this isn’t factual, we have all witnessed the losses to sub .500 teams the past few seasons, but if you are looking to a silver lining to the team’s 2017 regular season schedule, which was released last night, it is the Steelers have the easiest strength of schedule, based on 2016 record, through the first quarter of the regular season.

Check out the data below, provided by NFL Research:

The Steelers’ Weeks 1-4 games against the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens comes out to an opponent winning percentage of .313. It should be noted the only home game during this stretch is Week 2 against Minnesota.

As stated in the graph, the second easiest schedule is none other than the Ravens, who play the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Steelers in their first four games of the season.

You have to win the games you are supposed to win, and the Steelers have struggled with this at times under Mike Tomlin, but when you look at their post-bye week schedule it becomes glaringly evident the team will have to start of strong if they want to be vying for another AFC North Division title, and possibly home field advantage, when the dust settles.