(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
With the Buccaneers beating the Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV, it's now officially on to the 2021 season.
Including the Steelers' annual two games a year against each AFC North opponent, the Steelers play the AFC West and the NFC North in 2021. The Steelers also will play the Bills and Titans, who like the Steelers, both won their division.
The Steelers will play the Ravens, Browns, Bengals, Broncos, Bears, Lions, Raiders and Titans at home in 2021. On the road, they will play the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, Packers, Vikings, Chargers and Bills.
By winning the AFC North in 2020, the Steelers will play a first-place schedule in 2021, and they'll have tough road games at Kansas City, Buffalo and Green Bay. The Ravens and Browns have both won at least 10 games this year, and the Bengals are an improving team led by Joe Burrow who will have a high draft pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Steelers are tied with the Dolphins and Titans with 28-1 odds to win Super Bowl LVI in 2022, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
Thirteen teams have better odds than the Steelers to win next year's Super Bowl. Ahead of the Steelers are the Colts at 25-1 and behind them are the Cowboys at 30-1.
The Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league in 2021 based on their opponents' combined record of 143-111-2 (.563) in 2020. It includes nine games against 2020 playoff teams, counting the Browns and Ravens twice.
Three other noteworthy things about the 2021 schedule -- the Steelers will play in Minnesota for the first time since 2005. The last time the Steelers were scheduled to be the away team against the Vikings was in 2013, but the game was played in London. The Steelers will also play the Chargers at the new SoFi Stadium in Southern California in 2021, which opened in 2020. The NFL also plans to expand the regular season to 17 games per team in 2021. Each team would play an extra interconference matchup -- AFC vs. NFC -- based on divisional standings from the preceding season and on a rotating divisional basis.