The (8-5) Pittsburgh Steelers will play host to the (10-3) Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field in what figures to be a great AFC matchup. Even though the Steelers still control their own playoff destiny right now, it doesn’t mean that we won’t be doing some scoreboard watching on this 15th Sunday of the 2015 NFL season. As usual, here is your fan rooting interest guide for Week 15 as it relates to the AFC playoff race.
Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-9) 1:00 PM ET
In order for the Steelers to finish with a higher seed than the Chiefs, they must finish with the better record thanks to their loss to them earlier in the season. Ever since they beat the Steelers at home, the Chiefs haven’t lost a game and they’ll be looking to notch their eighth-straight win on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, who might have to start Jimmy Clausen if Matt Schaub is unable to make it back this week. The Ravens are a banged up bunch on both sides of the ball but at least they won’t have to go against Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston, who has been ruled out for Sunday’s game with a knee injury. The Chiefs are favored by nearly a touchdown in this one and we can only hope the Baltimore pulls off a major upset. If that upset happens and the Steelers win, Pittsburgh will enter Week 16 as the No. 5 seed in the AFC.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-3) at San Francisco 49ers (4-9) 4:25 PM ET
If the Steelers beat the Broncos Sunday afternoon, the Bengals can’t clinch the AFC North in Week 15. The Steelers shot at remaining the division remains alive right now and the Bengals are now forced to start A.J. McCarron the remainder of the season and Sunday will mark his first career start. The Bengals game against the 49ers could be viewed as one that is insignificant to Steelers fans as Cincinnati would still need to lose their final two games in order for Pittsburgh to win the division. While that is true, we’ll pull for the 49ers today just the same.
