The Pittsburgh Steelers' win over the Baltimore Ravens last week was pivotal for the team's chances of cracking the postseason this year. Unfortunately, the results around the AFC couldn't have been worse for Mike Tomlin's team.
As Pittsburgh prepares for a critical Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins, the updated AFC playoff picture unveils a concerning truth: the Steelers would hardly be a lock to make the playoffs with a win tonight.
In Week 15, the Baltimore Ravens trounced the Cincinnati Bengals in a 24-0 shutout win. Meanwhile, all three teams that are on track for Wild Card seeds in the AFC came up with huge wins in Week 15.
The LA Chargers went back and forth with the Chiefs before upsetting Kansas City and knocking them out of playoff contention. Likewise, the Buffalo Bills bounced back from a 21-point deficit to defeat the New England Patriots, and the Houston Texans trounced the Arizona Cardinals.
The victories by these three teams in Week 15 give the Chargers and Bills both 10-4 records, while the Texans advance to 9-5 after winning their sixth straight game. Unfortunately, this almost assures that the Steelers have only one path to entering the playoffs, and even then, their chances are discouraging.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have no breathing room in the playoff race, even if they defeat the Miami Dolphins tonight
At the risk of stating the obvious, the Steelers need to take care of business against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. A loss would result in the Baltimore Ravens jumping ahead of Pittsburgh in updated chances to win the division.
According to NFL.com's playoff picture—after results around the league in Week 15—the Ravens currently sit on a 47 percent chance to make the playoffs, while the Steelers would have a 41 percent chance with a loss against the Dolphins tonight.
Sadly, even if the Steelers win tonight, they are not in the clear.
A win at home on Monday Night Football would simply result in the Steelers boosting their current 54 percent playoff probability up to a mere 61 percent chance of making the postseason. And based on how the Ravens perform the rest of the way, Pittsburgh may need to win its final three games to make the playoffs.
If the season were to end before MNF in Week 15, the Steelers would host the LA Chargers in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs. But this could change on a whim.
The time is now. Tomlin and the Steelers can't let their foot off the gas pedal—even if they get a big win tonight. With only one true route to the playoffs, coming through an AFC North division title, Pittsburgh needs to treat every game like a playoff game the rest of the season.