Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens' 41-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers must now defeat the Cleveland Browns this week to avoid a do-or-die battle with their division rivals in Week 18 for the AFC North crown.
The Browns may not be a good football team this season, but they have just enough talent to give the Steelers a real challenge. Complicating things for Pittsburgh is the suspension of star receiver DK Metcalf, as he is set to miss the final two games of the regular season. The offense has gained a ton of momentum in recent weeks, and Metcalf played a significant role in helping the passing game reawaken during the team's three-game winning streak.
Without him, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will need to get creative with his personnel and try and find ways to still threaten defenses through the air. With the receiver depth chart shockingly bare behind Metcalf, his ability to do so could make or break the Steelers' 2025 season.
DK Metcalf's absence creates potential disaster scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers fans were undoubtedly hoping that the Packers would take care of business at home, making the final two games of the season for Pittsburgh drama-free. That obviously didn't happen, and it now puts all the pressure back on head coach Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff.
We haven't seen this offense without Metcalf in the lineup this season, so it's hard to know exactly how Smith will go about trying to work around his absence. Will he lean into the jumbo package that has been so successful this season? Or could he try to surprise Cleveland by continuing to use more 11 personnel (three wide receivers) as he has been in recent weeks?
A lot of that will be based on how much confidence he has in guys like Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller, who will have elevated roles alongside Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. If he believes in their ability to step up, we could see a similar offense in terms of strategy that they have shown in recent weeks,
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Realistically, though, Smith will look to get creative with his bevy of running backs and tight ends to help the offense survive without its top receiver.
That could mean even more touches for breakout star Kenneth Gainwell, or, hopefully, a heavier dose of Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. With Myles Garrett looking to break the single-season sack record this week, having more bodies on the line of scrimmage may need to be a priority as well.
Regardless of how they choose to tackle the problem, it can't be understated how important it is for the Steelers to find a way to leave Cleveland with a victory. As exciting as it would be for everything to come down to Week 18, trying to defeat the Ravens without Metcalf (and potentially T.J. Watt, among others) will be a tall task, even at home.
If the Steelers truly deserve to win the division, don't even give your rival a chance. Go into Cleveland, beat an inferior team, and go home AFC North champions. Simple as that.