The Pittsburgh Steelers just got to the double-digit win mark with four games left to play. Their hopes for the AFC’s No. 1 seed are still alive, but the first step is locking up the AFC North. It was expected to be the most competitive division in football with all four teams in the mix for the playoffs, but it turned into a two-horse race between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
With a comfortable two-game lead in the AFC North, the Steelers’ path to the division title is very clear. The easiest path with the fewest number of teams involved is simply beating the Ravens in Week 16 on the road. If they defeat the Ravens, no other results matter.
With the Ravens on their bye this week, the Steelers are 10-3 to the Ravens’ 8-5 and the Steelers have the head-to-head win over them at the moment. Even if the Ravens win out and the Steelers lose out, as long as the Steelers beat the Ravens, they will both be 11-6 with the head-to-head tiebreaker in the Steelers’ favor.
There are several other paths as well. The next most important game for the Steelers to win would be the Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If they lose to the Ravens and sweep the Bengals that would make them 4-2 in the division and force the Ravens to beat the feisty Cleveland Browns in Week 18.
Here are both teams’ remaining schedules.
Steelers:
– at Philadelphia Eagles
– at Baltimore Ravens
– vs. Kansas City Chiefs
– vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Ravens:
– at New York Giants
– vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
– at Houston Texans
– vs. Cleveland Browns
The division and conference games will mean more in the event that tiebreakers come into play, but a Steelers win over the Eagles would make it very difficult for the Ravens to overtake them in the division. Entering Week 14, the Steelers had over a 70-percent chance of winning the division. Only one team controls their destiny for the AFC North at the moment and that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers technically haven’t clinched a spot in the playoffs yet, but they will have some clinching scenarios this upcoming week.
If the Steelers win the AFC North, it would be their first time since 2020 when they went 12-4 but backed into the playoffs following an awful month of December.
This year feels different with a 2-0 record to start the month and high chances of locking up the division crown once again.
