While the Pittsburgh Steelers can’t even be thinking about the Divisional Round yet, there’s a game against Buffalo to be played Monday at 4:30 PM/EST, we know their schedule should they pull off the upset against the Bills.
As revealed by the NBC broadcast at the end of Sunday night’s game between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, a Steelers win Monday afternoon will have them going to Baltimore Sunday at 6:30 PM/EST. The game will be shown on CBS.
The Steelers-Bills winner will play on Sunday regardless, a logical decision by the league considering the rescheduling. While still a short week, six days to recover and prepare, it’s better than five days (there may also be an NFL rule requiring six days between playoff games but I’ve been able to confirm). If Buffalo wins, they will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in the same time slot.
Playing the Ravens was known once the playoff bracket was set last week, the Steelers being the seven seed against the Ravens No. 1 seed, but we now know the day and time. They would be the last game of the Divisional Round.
For Pittsburgh, it would be their third meeting against Baltimore this season and second in three weeks. The Steelers swept the Ravens in the regular season, continuing their string of recent success. In Week 5, a Miles Killebrew blocked punt and late deep-ball touchdown from QB Kenny Pickett to WR George Pickens put Pittsburgh on top 17-10.
The two squads met in the regular season finale with the Steelers again winning 17-10. Baltimore, the AFC’s top seed with nothing to play for, rested key starters like QB Lamar Jackson, LB Roquan Smith, and CB Marlon Humphrey, while limiting snaps for several other players.
It would make for the fifth playoff meeting between the two teams and first since the 2014-2015 Wild Card game. Without RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh lost 30-17 as Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw a pair of touchdowns. The Steelers turned the ball over three times.
Pittsburgh is 3-1 lifetime against the Ravens in the playoffs. Their most memorable postseason win came in the 2008 AFC Championship Game, Troy Polamalu’s pick-six putting the cherry on top of a 23-14 Steelers win. They beat the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl to win their sixth Lombardi.
Through the first four games of the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are advancing from the NFC while the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans emerged victorious from the AFC.
