With the Pittsburgh Steelers still fighting for a playoff spot, they need the maximum amount of help possible to feel comfortable, and they need to beat the Indianapolis Colts. PFF’s Timo Riske laid out who the Steelers and their fans have to root for in Week 15 to help Pittsburgh make the playoffs.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS – ROOT FOR VIKINGS
The Jake Browning-led Bengals have won their last two games, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13 and the Colts last week to climb back into the playoff picture at 7-6. Browning will look to continue his upward trajectory (629 yards over the last two weeks) and move Cincinnati to 8-6 and right into the thick of the playoff race. Former Steelers QB Josh Dobbs was benched as Minnesota’s quarterback ahead of this game and will serve as the emergency third quarterback with veteran Nick Mullens under center.
If Cincinnati wins and Pittsburgh loses, the Steelers will also fall to last in the AFC North. If both teams win, it’ll set up a very impactful Week 16 matchup at Acrisure Stadium
DENVER BRONCOS AT DETROIT LIONS – ROOT FOR LIONS
The resurgent Broncos are 7-6 and second in the AFC West, and right in the mix for a playoff spot. They’ll see a Detroit Lions team coming off an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears. A return home to Ford Field will hopefully spark this Lions team on Saturday night and help them beat Denver. With Denver holding an identical record to Pittsburgh, it’s important for Pittsburgh to try to gain a game on the Broncos with a win and a Denver loss to give them some breathing room down the stretch.
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS – ROOT FOR TITANS
The Houston Texans are another 7-6 team, and they helped Pittsburgh out last week by dropping their matchup with the New York Jets. QB C.J. Stroud suffered a concussion in that matchup, and he still hasn’t practiced this week for the Texans as he remains in protocol. Tennessee will be at home, wearing their throwback Oilers jerseys, with the prospect of facing a backup quarterback in Davis Mills. The Texans are also just 2-4 on the road this season, and Pittsburgh is going to be hoping that record moves to 2-5 against the Will Levis-led Titans on Sunday.
DALLAS COWBOYS AT BUFFALO BILLS – ROOT FOR COWBOYS
Buffalo is yet another 7-6 team fighting for the playoffs in the AFC, but they might be the most dangerous team out of the glut of teams with the same record trying to make the postseason. But an inconsistent defense and turnover issues have plagued the Bills this season, and now they enter a must-win game at home against the 10-3 Cowboys. Coming off a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo has some momentum, and QB Josh Allen could still make a late-season MVP push. But a loss to Dallas would sink Buffalo’s playoff hopes, and with QB Dak Prescott playing the best football of his career, it’s not going to be easy.
CHICAGO BEARS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS – ROOT FOR BEARS
A pretty self-explanatory one here, the Steelers need their division rivals, the Browns, to lose to Justin Fields and the Bears. Chicago pulled off an upset against the Lions last week, and they’ll look to do it once again against the Browns. This game is going to come down to defense, with Chicago’s defensive unit playing their best defense of the season over the last few weeks and going up against Joe Flacco. Cleveland’s defense has been elite all season and is getting its crack at a Bears team with shaky quarterback play. If Cleveland loses, they’ll drop to 8-6 and could fall behind the Steelers in the AFC North standings if Pittsburgh gets a win.
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – ROOT FOR RAVENS
While this doesn’t help Pittsburgh’s quest for a division title, we’re past worrying about winning the division at this point. Jacksonville currently leads the AFC South, but at 8-5, they’re a greater threat to Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes than Baltimore. This one is a little bit lower-impact than some of the other matchups this weekend, with both teams division leaders and likely to stay that way. Jacksonville did just lose to the Browns, and QB Trevor Lawrence is still dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Week 13. Anything can happen in the NFL, and Jacksonville will look to avoid a late-season swoon with an upset over Baltimore, while the Ravens will look to help out their AFC North rivals in Pittsburgh with a win.
NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS – ROOT FOR JETS
It’s all about Zach Wilson and the J-E-T-S on Sunday, who will look to upset the Dolphins in an AFC East matchup. Miami beat New York in the first matchup between the two on Black Friday, and New York, fresh off a win over the Texans, will look to send Miami on a two-game losing streak with a road win at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami leads the AFC East, and it’s a two-horse race for the division with the Buffalo Bills if Buffalo can beat the Cowboys. Another game with not as much of an impact, but one that helps Pittsburgh’s playoff odds with a Jets win.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – ROOT FOR PATRIOTS
Victim of the first-ever Monday Night Football flex, the Chiefs will look to avenge their loss to the Bills with a trip to Gillette Stadium against the 3-10 Patriots. Of course, New England just thoroughly embarrassed the Steelers, so it would feel a little better if they could beat the Chiefs. Kansas City is the favorite to win the AFC West, and New England has been eliminated from the playoffs. So this is a lower-impact game. But with the Chiefs not having anything locked up yet and currently at 8-5, a New England win does help the Steelers out, and the Steelers will take any help they can.
Here’s a full look at PFF’s rooting guide.
