Steelers 2019 Schedule Extremely Challenging

PITTSBURGH, PA - An opening date with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. A closing game in Baltimore against the archrival Ravens. A game against the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rames. Three games in the mountain or Pacific time zones. An early bye week. Five of the last seven games played on the road.

If the Steelers get back to the playoffs in 2019, it won't be because they had an easy schedule. The NFL released the entire league schedule Wednesday and it's clear the people who devised the slate of games did the Black-and-Gold no favors.

But Steelers president Art Rooney II seemed unfazed by the challenges awaiting the Steelers in the coming season.

“I think it’s a good schedule, particularly in that the night games at home are spread out," Rooney told Steelers.com. "One interesting thing is that for the first time in a long time that I can remember is we’ll be playing the Cleveland Browns in a primetime game. It’s kind of different to see that on the schedule.”

The 2019 schedule:

• Sept 8: at New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

• Sept. 15: Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m., Fox.

• Sept. 22: at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m., CBS.

• Sept. 30: Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.

• Oct. 6: Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Oct. 13: at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

• Oct. 28: Miami Dolphins, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.

• Nov. 3: Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m, CBS.

• Nov. 10: Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

• Nov. 14: at Cleveland Browns, 8:20 p.m., Fox-NFL Network-Amazon.

• Nov. 24: at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Dec. 1: Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m., CBS.

• Dec. 8: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., CBS.

• Dec. 15: Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Dec. 22: at New York Jets, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Dec. 29: at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS.