Since there is no football being played today—what, they are still holding games even though the Pittsburgh Steelers have already played?—I suppose we have a bit of time for more of a laidback article. And since the team can also just sit this Sunday and enjoy the football, rather than preparing to suit up and play one on their own, they can do so knowing they’ve already kept pace.
Having already beaten the previously 6-3 Titans to move on to 8-2, which is the best record in the AFC entering the day, they are the proverbial leaders in the clubhouse, able to watch the scoreboard to see how can keep up with them.
So with that in mind, here are a few games that might be relevant to their interests, and to yours, based on their division, their future opponents, and, of course, their quest for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, something they haven’t earned outright in over a decade.
The two biggest games in the afternoon for them would be the Jaguars and Chiefs visiting the Browns and Giants, respectively. These are two of the top teams in the AFC facing two of the worst teams I the entire league, but hey, stranger things have happened.
While both teams are 6-3 entering the week, the Steelers would really love to see the Jaguars lose more than the Chiefs, given that they went into Kansas City and won—in fact, have beaten them three times in the past two seasons—while they lost to the Jaguars, at home. Jacksonville owns the head-to-head tiebreaker should they finish with the same record, and they are just one game behind, facing a team that has not won.
Another game of note at that time is the Ravens in Green Bay. Even though Baltimore is three games back in the division, they are the closest team to the Steelers in the AFC North, and it’s always good to see them lose. Plus, they still have a game against Pittsburgh, who also still has to play the Patriots. The Packers are their next opponent, so they can do some scouting from the couch.
Of course, the evening game of the Patriots and the Raiders in Mexico City is going to be given a lot of attention from Steelers fans. If New England somehow figures out a way to lose—they have won five straight—that would give Pittsburgh outright the best record in the conference, though that still most likely wouldn’t do a ton of good if they lose head-to-head.
The primetime games, meanwhile, feature a number of NFC hopefuls that they might face in the Super Bowl, including most notably the 8-1 Eagles playing in Dallas, while the Seahawks at 6-3 host the Falcons on Monday night. But the big game will be between the 7-2 Rams and Vikings at 1 PM.
