AFC Playoff Picture: Steelers on a narrow path to the postseason

Its hard to believe, but the NFL's regular season finale is already here.  Over four months of action will culminate over a two-day span, with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Baltimore Ravens in a stand-alone game in a must-win scenario.  Somebody with a winning record is going to be left out of the playoffs […]

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer
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Dec 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan (left) reacts to quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Its hard to believe, but the NFL's regular season finale is already here. 

Over four months of action will culminate over a two-day span, with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Baltimore Ravens in a stand-alone game in a must-win scenario. 

Somebody with a winning record is going to be left out of the playoffs in the AFC, and the Steelers are aiming to prove it won't be them:

AFC playoff picture if the season ended today:

  1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – 1st AFC North
  2. Miami Dolphins (11-5) – 1st AFC East
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) – 1st AFC West
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) – 1st AFC South
  5. Cleveland Browns (11-5) – Wild Card
  6. Buffalo Bills (10-6) – Wild Card
  7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7) – Wild Card

In the hunt:

The Steelers may not have received any help from the Colts, Texans or Bills, who all saw wins in the early window on Sunday, but they favored greatly from the beatdown that the Ravens put on the Dolphins. 

Instead of playing a Baltimore squad fighting for the first seed in Week 18, Pittsburgh will likely face a team resting most, if not all of their 22 starters, giving Pittsburgh the opportunity to finish the regular season with three wins in a row. 

But Pittsbrugh doesn't control their own destiny. Not only will they need to win, they will also need either the Titans to beat the Jaguars, or the Dolphins to beat the Bills if they are to make a trip to the postseason, although that's a much better scenario than where Pittsburgh was just a week ago. 

Will the Steelers make the playoffs?

The Steelers have a 28% chance at making the playoffs following Week 17's shenanigans, which may seem like a longshot, but is a big boost when you consider the Steelers had a mere 3% of heading to the postseason last week. 

Can Pittsburgh win the AFC North?

With the Ravens wrapping up the first seed in the conference on Sunday, Pittsburgh's less than 1% chance at winning the division is officially at zero, as Baltimore will be crowned AFC North champions for 2023-2024. 

So Week 18's finale may not have the stakes that you hope for when it comes to both teams, but it is still pivotal for the Steelers. 

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