The Pittsburgh Steelers have already clinched a playoff berth, but what does Week 17 mean for their AFC North aspirations?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already punched their ticket to the NFL Playoffs.
But they have bigger dreams than just a spot in the dance.
Mike Tomlin and company had a chance to clinch the AFC North in Week 16, but their loss to the Baltimore Ravens not only saw their rivals clinch a playoff spot of their own, but it also kept Baltimore’s chances of winning the AFC North alive.
Now both teams are back in action on Christmas Day — with the Steelers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs and the Ravens traveling to Houston to take on the Texans — and the AFC North is still in doubt.
Here is what Wednesday’s game means for the Steelers and their division title aspirations.
The Steelers had a chance to clinch the AFC North title last week when they took on the Ravens, but Baltimore’s win in Week 16 denied Pittsburgh their chance at locking up the division.
Now, both the Steelers and the Ravens sit at 10-5 on the season. This means that with two games remaining for both teams, neither team can clinch a division title on Christmas Day.
If both Pittsburgh and Baltimore win their final two games, they would finish with matching 12-5 records. Pittsburgh would win the division in this scenario, thanks to the AFC record tiebreaker. With the two AFC North teams having split their season series, Pittsburgh would finish with a better record in the conference, 9-3 compared to 8-4.
(Baltimore’s early-season loss to the Las Vegas Raiders looms large in this scenario).
Thanks to this tiebreaker advantage, the Steelers still have an edge in the battle for the AFC North. However, the Ravens have the slightly easier schedule. While Baltimore takes on the 9-6 Texans on Christmas Day, they finish the season against the lowly Cleveland Browns.
Meanwhile the Steelers play host to the 14-1 Chiefs — who can lock up the top spot in the conference with a win Wednesday — and then the 7-8 Cincinnati Bengals, who are fighting for their playoff lives.
1. y-Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (12-3)
3. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5, 7-3 AFC)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-6)
5. x-Baltimore Ravens (10-5, 6-4 AFC)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, wins over DEN)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-6, losses to LA)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8, 6-5 AFC, win over MIA)*
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8, 5-5 AFC, loss to IND)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8, 4-6 AFC)*
11. New York Jets (4-11) — eliminated
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12, 3-7 AFC. win over JAX) — eliminated
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12, win over TEN, 3-7 AFC, loss to CLE) — eliminated
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12, 3-7 AFC) — eliminated
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12, 3-8) — eliminated
16. New England Patriots (3-12, 2-8) — eliminated
Teams with an asterisk (*) have been eliminated from divisional contention
Teams with an (x) have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a (y) have clinched their division
