The Steelers have plenty to be happy about following yesterday’s Thanksgiving games, gaining some assistance from their rivals. Not only did the Bengals defeat the Ravens, the Cowboys also beat the Chiefs. With Kansas City losing, it helps keep open a path for a Wild Card berth if they can’t win the AFC North.
Now, the road to a Wild Card spot is still narrow, and the easiest path remains winning the division. Fortunately for the Steelers, Cincinnati just ended Baltimore’s five-game winning streak, putting them back in first place—for now. In case you were wondering, though, Pittsburgh would fall back into second with a loss to the Bills.
While the Steelers have the same divisional record, the Ravens have a better record in common games. That is the third tiebreaker after head-to-head and divisional tiebreakers. As it stands, Pittsburgh is 4-3 and Baltimore is 5-2.
And the Steelers’ future record relies heavily on the Ravens, because they still have to play twice. But this loss helps make a 1-1 split more palatable. And it gives them a cushion to lose to a team like the Bills or Lions. But they have to take care of business against the Dolphins and Browns, even with the exalted Shedeur Sanders.
Of course, the reality is that the Steelers haven’t been a very good football team. They are 2-4 in their last six games, even if that includes a win over the Colts. The other win came over a Bengals team that saw Joe Flacco turn back into a pumpkin. And the good news is the Ravens still have to play Joe Burrow again, so hopefully they can have a repeat performance.
Now, one also doesn’t want to risk having the Bengals claw back to relevance, either. If the Steelers and Ravens cannibalize each other, it’s possible. Cincinnati is now 4-8, and the rest of its schedule is manageable. The Bengals do have to play the Bills, but outside of division games, they have the Cardinals and Dolphins.
Needless to say, everything discussed above hinges upon one crucial factor. The Steelers have to take care of their own business, and that starts with the Bills on Sunday. If they can send them back to Buffalo angry, they will control the AFC North. Following that, a 1-1 split with the Ravens might be sufficient to lock in an AFC North title.
And if not, then perhaps the Chiefs’ loss, sending them to 6-6, will end up helping out. Right now, all three teams in position for a Wild Card spot in the AFC are 7-4, so that will be challenging. But every little bit helps.
You are now free to rant about how none of this matters anyway because the Steelers would just lose in the first round, anyway. And you wouldn’t be wrong, but you would be repetitive.
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