By the time the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Green Bay Packers gets underway, the Bland and Gold very well might be eliminated from playoff contention if two of the early games do not go their way. In order for them to stay alive in Week 17, here is a look at the things that must go right on Sunday.
Buffalo must beat the Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins currently have a three game winning streak and they will play on the road Sunday against a Buffalo Bills team that will be without their starting quarterback E. J Manuel. Starting in place of Manuel will be Thaddeus Lewis, who just so happened to beat the Dolphins at their place back in Week 7. In addition to being without Manuel, the Bills will also not have wide receiver Stevie Johnson and safety Aaron Williams. Johnson is dealing with the sudden death of his mother, while Williams is suffering from a rib injury. It could be rainy and windy during this game and that might be the only thing that plays into the favor of the Bills, who are currently 2.5 point home dogs.
Jets must beat the Browns
The New York Jets have lost four of their last five games while the Browns have lost eight of their last nine. In order for the Jets to win this one at home, they will have to contain Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who has 39 catches for 841 yards and six touchdowns in his last five games. The Jets defense has played well at times this season and they will likely have to win this game on Sunday.
If the two games above somehow go the Steelers way, they will obviously need to beat the Packers and agonizingly watch to see if the New England Patriots can beat the Baltimore Ravens at the same time that they play. While it would be nice if the San Diego Chargers lose to the Oakland Raiders during the late game action, them winning will not eliminate the Steelers this week.
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