On the heels of a massive win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, the Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves in pole position in the AFC North. However, the job still isn’t finished yet.
Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers, and the 8-6 Steelers are looking to secure Pittsburgh’s first division title since the 2020-21 campaign. To do so, they must continue to win. With their place in the playoffs at stake, every game the rest of the way is a must-win.
What Are the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Chances of Making the Playoffs?
It has been an up-and-down season for the Steelers. Heading into the past offseason, the quarterback position was the team’s biggest question mark. A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers has hardly been elite. His 69.2 PFSN QB Impact grade ranks 29th among 44 qualified NFL quarterbacks this season. Still, his veteran presence has been steady, keeping Pittsburgh competitive in most games.
Tomlin’s squad has been unable to string together consecutive victories since the three-game winning streak from Weeks 3 through 6 (Week 5 was a bye week). With wins sandwiched in between losses, the Steelers need to get hot down the stretch to clinch a playoff berth.
Under Tomlin, the Steelers have never posted a record below .500, but they haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 2010. That lack of playoff success is concerning, but once you get to the dance, anything can happen, especially with the AFC appearing wide open this season.
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According to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, after their win over the Miami Dolphins, the Steelers now have a 72.20% chance of making the playoffs, and a 71.70% chance of winning the division.
NUUUUUU! @Easymoney_81
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdr pic.twitter.com/HpXyODmBo3
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 16, 2025
Before their win over the Ravens last week, Pittsburgh had a 51.7% chance of making the playoffs and a 51.5% chance of winning the AFC North, which highlights the significance of that result.
The Browns and the Bengals are already eliminated from playoff contention altogether, but the Ravens are still in the hunt at the moment. Baltimore currently has a 28.30% chance of winning the AFC North.
With the Ravens not far back of first place, the Steelers cannot afford to get complacent. The playoff picture is changing weekly, and things could have shifted quickly at the top of the division if Pittsburgh had failed to take care of business against Miami.
Steelers Remaining 2025 Schedule
- Week 16: Steelers at Lions
- Week 17: Steelers at Browns
- Week 18: Ravens at Steelers
The Steelers have the 16th-hardest remaining schedule in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Strength of Schedule metric. For comparison, the Ravens have the 10th-hardest, while the Bengals have the fourth-easiest. With a one-game lead over Baltimore, Pittsburgh controls its own destiny, but it could still come down to that Week 18 rematch for the AFC North crown and a spot in the playoffs.
