Steelers increase playoff chances with win, but still long shots

The Pittsburgh Steelers increased their playoff odds with a win over the Titans, but here’s why they are still very much on the outside looking in. 

Defeating the Tennesee Titans in Week 15 was a must for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In order to keep their heads above water, Mike Tomlin’s squad desperately needed to avoid falling to 6-7-1 on the season. Fortunately, they were able to pull off a gritty win at home this week.

With this victory, the Steelers elevated their playoff chances this year, but not by as much as we would have hoped. According to FiveThirtyEight, Pittsburgh increased their odds of making the playoffs from 10 percent to 16 percent in Week 15. As well, their odds of winning the AFC North increased from 5 percent to 9 percent.

After a big victory that boosted Pittsburgh back to a winning record, we would have hoped that this would have yielded a better outlook on their playoff chances, sadly with the way that other games played out, their percent chance of winning the division didn’t increase by as much as we would have hoped. Week 15 wins by the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts attributed to this.

The Steelers were very fortunate that the Ravens narrowly fell to the Packers in a 31-30 contest. A Baltimore win in this game would have been devastating to their odds.

Now, it seems like the best route of making the playoffs will come through trying to earn the division title. With the Ravens falling to 8-6, the Steelers are just a half-game behind and they could potentially flip the script in their final matchup against each other in Week 18.

What Steelers must do to make playoffs

The simple answer to making the playoffs is winning out. However, that’s easier said than done, and it’s possible that the Steelers could be underdogs in all three of their final games. With matchups against the Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens still ahead to close the season, doing enough to get it will be an incredibly daunting task.

If Pittsburgh can’t win all three games, then they must win two of the three. Realistically, they may only be able to afford a loss against the Chiefs this week, as losing to the Browns or Ravens could create a two-game swing in the AFC North and potentially Wild Card seeding.

Fortunately, the Steelers beat both the Browns and the Ravens the first time around, but it took some remarkable defensive performances. In both games, the offense was still lacking. Ben Roethlisberger’s unit could prove to be the downfall of this team down the stretch. If this offense plays another game like they did against the Titans in Week 15, that could be enough to do them in.

With the win against the Titans, the Steelers playoff hopes are still very much alive, but it’s going to take some spectacular performances down the stretch in order to make the tournament. Even one loss in their final three could prove to be enough to do them in this year.