All of Steelers Nation had its eyes on the Ravens and Packers matchup Saturday night. With both Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love sidelined, Pittsburgh fans were counting on Malik Willis and Green Bay to do them a favor by handing Baltimore a loss that would have clinched the AFC North before the Steelers even kicked off against Cleveland.
Instead, the Ravens cruised to a convincing 41-24 win. The victory kept Baltimore’s playoff hopes alive and set up a tense final stretch. Now the Ravens will be rooting for the Browns to beat the Steelers, which would turn the Week 18 showdown between Pittsburgh and Baltimore into a winner-take-all battle for the AFC North crown.
The pressure continues to mount on the Steelers to take care of business and wrap up the division before the final week, but Cleveland’s house of horrors still looms large.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cant afford a let down in Cleveland
Playing in Cleveland has not been kind to the Steelers in recent years. Since 2018, Pittsburgh is just 1-5-1 in Cleveland, a place that has quietly become a house of horrors for a franchise that once dominated the rivalry.
No matter the circumstances, games in Cleveland are rarely easy, and today will once again test the Steelers, and this game will surely be more difficult than it should be.
Even with the Browns in contention for the number one overall draft pick, Cleveland would love nothing more than to complicate the Steelers' path to the postseason. Spoiling Pittsburgh’s season would be a victory in itself and give their fans something to celebrate.
Adding to the challenge, Myles Garrett will be playing with extra motivation as he continues his pursuit of the NFL sack record and looks to be a game wrecker against a Steelers offense that has struggled with consistency all season.
In the NFL, anyone can beat anyone, especially in a divisional matchup where emotion, familiarity, and hate often level the playing field. This is a game the Steelers must approach with a playoff mindset to keep their momentum going and avoid letting outside pressure creep in. A win in Cleveland sends the Steelers to the playoffs and keeps control of the AFC North in their hands.
A loss, however, turns Week 18 into a winner-take-all showdown with everything on the line. If the Steelers want to be viewed as a legitimate AFC contender, these are the types of games they cannot afford to lose.