After falling to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day with the Baltimore Ravens later securing an easy win over the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers no longer control their AFC North destiny. For the first time since early in the year, the Steelers sit in second place in the division thanks to three-straight December losses. While many will scoff at the mere idea of Pittsburgh winning the division, there is a path. And we’re going to explain it.
For the Steelers to win the AFC North in the regular season’s final week, two things most happen.
1. The Steelers must beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
2. The Ravens must lose to the Cleveland Browns.
Unlikely? Yes. Pittsburgh is skidding to the finish with the chance to lose its final four regular-season games. And Baltimore stumbling to Cleveland is hard to fathom, though the Browns did hand the Ravens a loss in their first matchup.
And stranger things have happened. The Steelers needed got all the help they needed last year to make a mad dash into the postseason. That included the Tennessee Titans upsetting the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18. In 2021, the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers avoided what looked like a sure tie game, Daniel Carlson’s kick vaulting the Raiders and Steelers into the playoffs.
So there’s a chance. Pittsburgh certainly haven’t done anything to deserve the division after free falling to three quality teams, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs by double digits. Their hot start to the season has faded after sitting at 10-3 on Dec. 14. At the time, they were firmly in Super Bowl-contender discussion. Now, they’re poised to head on the road Wild Card weekend and just try to avoid being one and done. Based on where things stand, that most likely will occur as the No. 5 seed to face the No. 4 seed, which is shaping up to be the Houston Texans.
It also means there’s high probability the Steelers will go four-straight years without winning their division, something that hasn’t happened since a seven-year drought from 1985-1991. That was before Bill Cowher was even hired, spanning the final years of Chuck Noll’s tenure.
No matter the outcome, Pittsburgh will be part of the postseason, clinching it following its Eagles loss that kicked off this spiral. The Steelers will look to do what they’ve been unable to since 2016 – win a playoff game. Losers of their last five tries, the ultimate measure of progress is getting to the Divisional Round. Right now, the Steelers don’t look equipped to do that though football’s single-elimination format can often lead to unpredictable results. For the team’s sake, things must change.
