Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Week 18, and they will at least have a chance to clinch an AFC North title in that contest, no matter what happens in between.
So what is at stake over the next two games, as the Steelers are set to visit the Detroit Lions on Saturday and the Cleveland Browns next week?
Let’s break it down:
The Steelers have two ways that they can wrap up the AFC North before the Ravens get off the plane in Pittsburgh in early January.
If the Steelers beat the Lions and Browns, and the Ravens lose of their two remaining games, against the New England Patriots this Sunday and on the road at the Green Bay Packers next Saturday, the Steelers will clinch the division on the field in Cleveland.
If the Steelers win one of their next two games, and the Ravens lose both of their two games, the AFC North crown will also belong to Pittsburgh.
The timing here gets interesting. After the Steelers play the Lions, the Ravens will play two straight games before the Steelers play again, as Baltimore’s Week 16 game is on Sunday Night Football and Week 17 game is on Saturday.
So if the Steelers beat the Lions, and the Ravens lose two straight, the Steelers will win the division in their hotel rooms before even facing the Browns — giving them two straight games where the division and a playoff spot will already be wrapped up.
While the idea of being able to rest the team’s starters is an enticing one, that may not be realistic, either. Right now, the Steelers are penciled into the No. 4 seed in the AFC at 8-6. But the Jacksonville Jaguars are 10-4, and are underdogs on the road in Week 16, as well. If the Steelers win and the Jaguars lose to the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh will be just one game behind them from the No. 3 seed.
If the Steelers beat Detroit, but the Ravens also win their next two games, the Steelers will not be able to clinch the division with a win over the Browns, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless.
The Steelers have a slight chance at a Wild Card berth, even if they lose to the Ravens and finish 10-7, though they would need lots of help for that to happen. The Houston Texans are currently the No. 7 seed and already have mine wins.
But what if the Steelers lose? After all, they are nearly a touchdown underdog headed to Detroit on Saturday.
If the Steelers lose and the Ravens also lose this week, then the second scenario above will still be in the play. If the Ravens lose to the Packers and the Steelers beat the Browns, the division title is still theirs.
But even if the Ravens...
