The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be fighting tooth and nail to make the playoffs, but these four teams could stand in their way this season.
At this point in the season, the Steelers will be doing nothing less than trying to scratch and claw their way into the playoffs. While a win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 certainly would have helped, they’re not out of the race just yet.
After taking some time to look ahead and predict the likely outcomes of other competitive teams in the AFC North, three in their last four games should be enough for Pittsburgh to make the tournament, and they are almost guaranteed to be in the playoffs if they win out.
Unfortunately, there are still four teams that could potentially stand in the way of their playoffs dreams this year:
Baltimore Ravens
It’s hard to believe that the Ravens are still an 8-5 team after all the injuries on their roster and the unspectacular play we have witnessed from Lamar Jackson in recent weeks. Now that Lamar is banged up with an ankle sprain, it could be even harder for Baltimore to hang onto the number one seed in the AFC North.
However, there’s a good chance that how John Harbaugh’s team finishes down the stretch could dictate Pittsburgh’s chances of making the playoffs this year. These two play each other in the final game of the season, and by that point, it’s possible a loss to the Ravens could officially eliminate them.
The good news for Steelers fans is that the Ravens still have daunting matchups against the Packers, Bengals, and Rams prior to facing Pittsburgh and it’s hard to imagine that the team we have seen lately will come out of these games with a winning record — making the AFC North potentially up for grabs.
Cincinnati Bengals
If the Ravens aren’t able to finish strong down the stretch, it could be the Bengals — not the Steelers — who are the beneficiaries. Joe Burrow’s team has hit a bit of a cold patch, but they are still half a game ahead of the Steelers in the AFC North.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh already played both games against the Bengals this year, so the Steelers don’t have a chance to make this a two-game swing at once with a win over their division rivals. Because of this, they are held at the mercy of Cincinnati, and if the Bengals win the same amount of games as Pittsburgh over the final four, they will be ahead of them in the seeding.
Sadly, there’s nothing the Steelers can do about this, and they obviously need to try to win all four games down the stretch. Even winning three of the four could prove to be catastrophic if the Bengals are able to do the same.
Getting swept by Cincinnati this year really hurt this team. The Bengals have games against the Broncos, Ravens, Chiefs, and Browns remaining, and I can see them finishing 3-1.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns narrowly escaped with a 24-22 win over the Ravens in Week 14. While this made it anyone’s game in the AFC North, it also boosted Cleveland a half-game ahead of Pittsburgh in the standings.
As it stands, the Browns might not be the biggest threat to the Steelers playoff chances this season, but they could potentially stand in the way. One thing Mike Tomlin’s team will almost have to do to get in is beat the Browns at home in Week 17. Pittsburgh accomplished this once already this season, but that was when the defense was playing much better and they only allowed 10 points in the contest.
Their next head-to-head contest could prove to have playoff implications as both teams are currently riding the fence. Right now, the Wild Card teams consist of the Chargers, Colts, and Bills. The Browns and Bengals are next in line.
Cleveland plays the Raiders, Packers, Steelers, and Bengals to close out the season. They could fall flat down the stretch, but I have a feeling they will be in contention until the very end.
Buffalo Bills
I don’t think many predicted that the Buffalo Bills would be 7-6 at this point in the season. The Bills currently hold the final Wild Card spot in the AFC, and the Steelers trail them by just a half-game. Unfortunately, this isn’t a playoff spot we should count on as being up for grabs.
While the Bills haven’t played their best football in the second half of the season, they have a cupcake schedule down the stretch. Outside of a tough rematch game against the Patriots, Buffalo plays the Panthers, Falcons, and Jets to close the season, and it’s very easy to see them going 3-1 to close out the year.
If this proves to be the case, Pittsburgh would have to be a perfect 4-0 — which seems very unlikely to happen. Just in case this happens, Steelers fans need to be rooting for the Colts and Chargers to fall flat down the stretch, or earning a Wild Card spot will be out of the question.
The Steelers have a difficult schedule as they play the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens to close the season. Sadly, they can only do so much to control their own destiny at this point, and there are teams that stand in the way of their playoff hopes.