The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a defeat in Week 12, but they still managed to regain their division lead as the Baltimore Ravens suffered an embarrassing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving. However, after their Week 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the Steelers’ playoff spot is no longer guaranteed.
What Are The Steelers’ Playoff Chances?
The Steelers were in great shape at 4–1 coming out of their bye week, but a stretch of four losses in six games has hurt their postseason outlook. According to PFSN’s Playoff Predictor, Pittsburgh entered Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills with a 64% chance to make the playoffs and a 61.7% chance to win the AFC North.
A win would have strengthened their division lead. With five mostly favorable matchups ahead, aside from a challenging game against the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh would have been well-positioned to both win the division and secure a playoff berth.
Following their loss to the Bills, the Steelers now have a 51.7% chance of making the playoffs and a 51.5% chance of winning the AFC North.
This matchup was high-stakes for Buffalo as well, and a win has helped boost their chances of making the postseason. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs are also firmly in the Wild Card race, meaning only one AFC North team may make the postseason.
Knowing that an AFC North runner-up is likely to finish no better than 9–8, the Steelers have a clear path forward: win the division. The Week 14 and Week 18 matchups against the Ravens will likely determine the race.
For the moment, the schedule favors Pittsburgh. The Ravens still have two difficult matchups against the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots, as well as one against the resurgent Bengals, while the Steelers’ immediate challenge is the Lions, a favorable, though not easy, opponent.
Pittsburgh had Aaron Rodgers back in Week 13, but was unable to hold off the Bills and suffered a blowout loss.
Buffalo boasts one of the league’s most explosive offenses led by Josh Allen, but their defense has underperformed. Unfortunately, Rodgers and the Steelers failed to take advantage of it.
The Steelers’ attention now turns towards the Ravens in Week 14. A win in Baltimore can position Pittsburgh in a great spot to win the division and make the playoffs. They will hope that Lamar Jackson, who has not played well since returning from injury, continues to look ordinary, like he did against the Bengals.
