Two weeks to go. And the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff fate very much hangs in the balance. Though there are technically paths for the Steelers to make the postseason if they don’t win out, the overwhelming odds point to the team needing to win its final two contests against the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens – and get help – to play on Wild Card weekend.
Beyond the obvious, Pittsburgh needing to come out on top against Seattle, here’s the other help the Steelers need during this penultimate weekend of regular-season action. These come from Pro Football Focus’ Timo Riske, which I’ll also link to below.
Raiders vs. Colts – Root For Raiders
Though the Raiders aren’t yet eliminated from playoff contention, battling hard under interim HC Antonio Pierce and coming off an upset win over the Kansas City, the Colts are ahead of the Steelers in the Wild-Card hunt. And they have the tiebreaker. If Pittsburgh beats Seattle and Indianapolis falls, the Steelers will move ahead of the Colts.
Patriots vs. Bills – Root For Patriots
Though our focus has been on Jacksonville losing and creating a path for Pittsburgh, Buffalo could do the same. And despite Buffalo being a heavy favorite against New England, the Pats have a strong defense and could keep the score down. The Bills also lost to them in their first meeting, 29-25. So don’t safely mark this one up as a Buffalo victory.
If they lose and the Steelers win, both teams will sit at 9-7 heading into Week 18. And the Bills have a tough test against Miami in next week’s finale.
Bengals vs. Chiefs – Root For Chiefs
Essentially, a Bengals loss here puts them in the rearview mirror of the AFC Wild-Card race. If the Steelers win at Seattle and the Bengals lose, Cincinnati can’t jump them in the final standings. The Chiefs are reeling and going through a transformation, relying more on their defense as their offense struggles. They’ve scored more than 30 points just once in their last eight games.
Panthers vs. Jaguars – Root For Panthers
The No. 1 game Steelers’ fans should be circling on their out-of-town scoreboard watching this week. Jacksonville needs to lose one of these next two games to give Pittsburgh a serious playoff life. They will enter this game without starting QB Trevor Lawrence, out with a shoulder injury, and on a four-game losing streak. Carolina is still among the worst teams in football, 2-13 on the season, but the Panthers have played better in their last two games. They beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15 and took the Green Bay Packers wire-to-wire last weekend.
Titans vs. Texans – Root For Titans
The only AFC South team to root for this week is the Tennessee Titans. Like the Colts, if the Texans lose and the Steelers win, Pittsburgh will jump them in the standings with a better overall record, 9-7 versus 8-8. That would be a big step in putting the Steelers in control of their own destiny heading into the finale (though they still would need help if the Jaguars win).
Good news for Tennessee (and Pittsburgh). Rookie QB Will Levis is expected to start after missing time with an ankle injury. These two teams just met in Week 15, a game in which Houston needed overtime to win. However, that was without QB C.J. Stroud, who will come back after missing the last two games with a concussion.
Chargers vs. Broncos – Root For Broncos
Little unclear on why Denver winning would be good for Pittsburgh, with the Chargers eliminated and the Broncos still technically in the hunt. Maybe it’s a three-way tiebreaker I’m missing. Either way, if the Steelers take care of business, Denver’s results will be irrelevant. They’re turning to Jarrett Stidham as they close the book on the Russell Wilson chapter.
Jets vs. Browns – Root For Jets
Which was a relevant point to make when this chart was released earlier in the week. Cleveland losing would’ve prevented the Browns from clinching a playoff spot and would’ve made it more likely the Baltimore Ravens rest their starters in Week 18 should they beat the Miami Dolphins this weekend.
Riske’s chart doesn’t show a “root for” between the Ravens and Dolphins because, from a mathematical standpoint, there’s no impact. But beyond the numbers, it’s certainly better for the Ravens to win. If they do, they will be the AFC’s No. 1 seed, have a bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and will almost certainly rest key players in the regular-season finale, including QB Lamar Jackson. So add a Root For Ravens to this list, even if it makes you feel gross cheering them on.
Only looking at making the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/uZndnVsTzP
— Timo Riske (@PFF_Moo) December 28, 2023
