The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Baltimore and took care of business, beating the Ravens 17-10 Saturday afternoon. With the victory, Pittsburgh finished the season 10-7.
Now, they play the waiting game. With their regular season over, their postseason fate sits in the hands of other NFL clubs. Here is the path, or paths, for the Steelers to be part of Wild-Card weekend.
Pittsburgh’s Playoff Path
̶1̶.̶ ̶C̶o̶l̶t̶s̶ ̶&̶ ̶T̶e̶x̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶T̶i̶e̶
(Update: 11:21 PM – with the Texans beating the Colts, this scenario is off the table. Pittsburgh will need scenario No. 2 or No. 3 to occur Sunday to make the playoffs).
There is a chance, albeit a small one, for Pittsburgh to punch its ticket before the night is over. If the nightcap between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans ends in a tie, the Steelers will have clinched a playoff berth. It’s unlikely but we saw a tie nearly keep Pittsburgh at home in the 2021 regular-season finale between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Colts won the first meeting between these two teams 31-20, but that was all the way back in Week Two. These are two different teams now.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars Loss or Tie
The Jaguars will take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 1 PM/EST as their playoff fate hangs in the balance. A win gives them the AFC South so they have everything on the line here. Eyes will be on QB Trevor Lawrence, who missed last week with a shoulder injury, though Jacksonville still came away with a win. It sounds like Lawrence is going to play and give it a shot, though his status still isn’t fully known.
The Titans will look to play spoiler, head coach Mike Vrabel confirming that they’re taking this game with complete seriousness even though they’ve long been eliminated from postseason contention.
Jacksonville blew out Tennessee, 34-14, earlier this year but that was before its late-season skid.
3. Buffalo Bills Loss
The Bills will play game No. 272, the final one of the 2023-2024 regular season. They’re taking on the Miami Dolphins in a battle for the AFC East title. Buffalo’s playoff ranges are truly mind-blowing. They could be the No. 2 seed. Or they could be out of the playoffs entirely.
One of football’s hottest teams, the Bills are the favorites here, especially with the Dolphins dealing with lots of injuries, particularly defensively. These two teams met in Week Four, Buffalo easily winning, 48-20. But the Dolphins will bring their best too, not wanting to be a Wild-Card road team for their postseason run.
If the first two scenarios don’t break in the Steelers’ favor, they won’t know their playoff fate until late Sunday night.
