Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens, giving both teams identical 10-5 records, the Steelers still remain in control of their destiny in the AFC North. It won’t be easy but it’s a simple path. Win out and the division will be theirs.
After splitting the season series with Baltimore following their 34-17 loss Saturday, the Steelers would still capture the division title by winning their final two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. That would give Pittsburgh nine conference wins on the year. Even if Baltimore wins its final two games against the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, it would only finish with eight AFC wins. That gives Pittsburgh the tiebreaker.
Losses get a little trickier. If Pittsburgh beats Kansas City and loses to Cincinnati in the finale and Baltimore beats Cleveland Week 18 but loses to Houston the week before, the Ravens will capture the division at 11-6. If the Steelers lose to the Chiefs but beat the Bengals and the Ravens lose either of their last two games, then Pittsburgh wins the division at 11-6.
And if both teams lose out, then the Steelers still win the division, though they would become the fourth-seed.
Of course, after losing back-to-back games and facing the AFC-leading Chiefs on Christmas Day, winning out is no sure bet. Kansas City doesn’t have the high-power offense of previous seasons, but Patrick Mahomes has dominated Pittsburgh in all three starts against the Steelers, two in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Even this year, the Chiefs have used Pittsburgh’s model of winning “ugly” and making plays in the final minutes to come out on top. They’re coming off a 27-19 win over the Houston Texans in the first Saturday game on Week 16.
Even the Week 18 finale against Cincinnati is no gimme. The Bengals have an outside chance of making the playoffs should they win out and get help along the way in the form of more Denver Broncos losses. It could give the Bengals plenty to play for come the final Sunday of the regular season.
Having already clinched the playoffs following Week 15, the Steelers will be playing on Wild Card weekend. But losing the division would mean spending that first week on the road, making a postseason victory even more difficult. Pittsburgh hasn’t hosted a playoff game since 2020 and has just one postseason home win since its last Super Bowl appearance.
The Steelers haven’t won the AFC North since 2020. If they can’t come away with its crown this year, the four-year division title drought will be their longest since a six-year stretch from 1985-1991. The Steelers spent most of the year leading the division after getting off to a strong 4-2 start while the rest of the division sputtered. Baltimore began the year 0-2, Cincinnati 1-4, and Cleveland’s season has been doomed from the start.
Now, it’s a two-team race to the finish to capture the AFC North crown.
