When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for their second Sunday Night Football matchup in three weeks, it won't just be for bragging rights over the Los Angeles Rams. While most would have considered the Indianapolis Colts' game last week a more daunting matchup, this Week 10 contest could have greater implications down the road.
If the season ended today, the 5-3 Steelers would claim the AFC North crown while the 6-3 Chargers would be the sixth seed in the AFC Wild Card picture. With the 7-2 Denver Broncos leading the AFC West and the 5-4 Kansas City Chiefs guaranteed to hang around until the end of the season, the Chargers are hardly favorites to win their division.
But there's a realistic scenario that either the Steelers or Chargers could be eliminated from playoff contention after Week 18... and it could come down to a head-to-head tiebreaker between these two teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must claim the head-to-head tiebreaker over the LA Chargers with a win on SNF
You might be surprised to learn that the Pittsburgh Steelers are not the favorites to win their division. According to odds by DraftKings Sportsbook, that label belongs to the 3-5 Baltimore Ravens.
In Lamar Jackson's first game back, the Ravens pulverized the Miami Dolphins on the road in a 28-6 beatdown. The rest of the way, a reenergized Baltimore team has remaining games against the Vikings, Browns, Jets, Patriots, and Packers, as well as two games against both the Bengals and Steelers.
Pittsburgh's remaining schedule is much tougher, and if they fail to win both games against the Ravens, there's a good chance the Ravens leapfrog the Steelers by the end of the season for the division title.
Assuming Mike Tomlin's team still finds a way to get to 10 to 11 wins on the season, the Steelers could be looking at snagging one of the three Wild Card spots.
But here's where things get dicey.
The LA Chargers are a distant third in odds to win the AFC West. This means that Jim Harbaugh's team will likely be fighting for one of the AFC Wild Card spots at the season's end. If the Steelers and Chargers each finish with the same number of wins (let's call it 10, for now), but Pittsburgh loses to the Chargers on Sunday Night Football this week, that could be enough to bounce Tomlin's team from the tournament before it even gets started.
READ MORE: Steelers WR offers shocking response to his limited target share
Remember, NFL Playoff tiebreakers are first determined by head-to-head results. If the Steelers and Chargers each finish 10-7 and fall short of winning the division, that could be enough to put Pittsburgh outside of the playoff bubble if they lose on SNF.
It's also important to consider the other teams that will be in the running for Wild Card spots in the AFC this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 5-3 with a cupcake schedule the rest of the way. Meanwhile, you can guarantee that either the 7-2 Patriots or the 6-2 Bills will earn a Wild Card spot (whichever one doesn't end up winning the division). And let's not forget about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
We're only in Week 10, so it might feel a tad early to start looking ahead to the playoffs. But the end of the 2025 season is going to creep up on us quickly, and there are major postseason implications for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. This is a game Mike Tomlin's team can't afford to lose.