2 percent chance of still making the playoffs…

Really? You werent prepared for that shock given how many times guy off the street or couches were made to look like HOF players in the last 15 seasons? A guy with zero NFL starts played for the Cowboys last year and looked like he should be a starter somewhere. The Chargers once started guys off the street at left and right tackle and looked 10× more polished than Chuks and Moore ever have and im pretty sure had better PFF scores for that game. At this point Im never surprised how well scrubs do in these games only surprised fans expected things to be different.

 

We do make those PS players look like HOFers at times, don’t we?

 

The loss to the Ravens realistically ended their chances. I hadn't even looked at specific scenarios until I read the OP of this thread. I wouldn't mind a four-game winning streak to end the season, but I don't that is likely or particularly important.

The game against the Raiders could be interesting. You've got an Oakland team that can't protect a lead and a Pittsburgh team that can't win when it doesn't score first.

 

It's not like he did much. The killer was not being able to stop the run with the practice squad quarterback in there. I don't remember if they went to the 4-4 defense that they used against the Panthers, but they should have done it the moment Huntley left the game.

 

Really You shouldn't be. If You watch across the league forever.....teams usually have trouble with a Qb the 1st time they play him because they don't know what to expect, and a lot of time if a backup comes in because everything they practiced all week for gets thrown out the window. It actually happens more than some would like to admit, and not just to the Steelers, but everywhere.
Hell I could make a list from just this year that would confirm it...., but I don't need to....just think about Ravens, Dallas, Rams, 49ers just to name a few.

 

Jets lose to Jags and Seahawks, beat Dolphins
Dolphins lose to GB, NE, and Jets
NE loses to Bengals and Bills
Raiders lose to Steelers, SF, and KC
Titans lose to Cowboys and Jags
Steelers beat Raider, Baltimore, and Cleveland

They can make the 6th seed.

None of the outcome of these games listed aren't possible. Only wildcard is NE game against Bills. Bills should be playing for #1 seed, so that will help.

If Jets beat Dolphins, Steelers get either Bengals or Ravens. If Dolphins beat Jets, Steelers get Chiefs. Either way, I'm seeing a Superbowl appearance for an AFC team.

 

They wouldn't need the Raiders to lose to anybody else. Beating them would be part of winning out.

What this really tells me is that they blew one too many games in the conference. The games against the Jets, Patriots, Dolphins, and Ravens were all in their grasp and they blew every single one of them.

 

Mmmm…yet another math equation for the Steelers to back into the playoffs yet again. Interesting concept they have going here

 

The Titans and the Ravens are similar to the Steelers they want to run the ball, and don't have dynamic offenses.

 

True on the Raiders, but look who they play. Helps my average in a couple weeks.

Agree on missed opportunities, but this is where they are at. As I mentioned before, just a few plays in those games and they could have a much better record. Not SB contenders, but a team pointed upward. Just a shame the OLine wasn’t better to start the year. Like, maybe one player better. Maybe that was doable.

 

That was part of it, too, but every part of the team failed at one point or another. That is life as a below-average team, finding ways to lose.

 

And we laugh at all the ways the Browns find ways to lose. Which is why I never advocate for tanking

 

For playoff chances do we need the jets or jags to win tonight?

 

Need either the Jets or the Dolphins to lose their last 3 games. Need Jax to lose 1 of 3. I'm rooting for Jax tonight and hope they get thier 1 loss in the last 2 weeks

 

The Steelers would be better off if the Jags win tonight rather than the Jets.

The reason is that if the Jags win out and go 9-8, they will win the AFCS and will not be involved in the WC tiebreakers with the Steelers. Meanwhile, a Jets win gives them 8 wins, and if they get one more (vs Sea or Mia), they will be involved with tiebreakers with the 9-8 Steelers, and would take the spot ahead of them.

They have more options, if the Jags win than if the Jets do.

 

You all have more patience with this than I do. I refuse to even try to pay attention to how the other results affect the Steelers until the final week of the season. If they are somehow still alive then, I'll pay attention. Otherwise, I'm just paying attention to the results of the Steelers games.

 

I'll pay attention to both until the Steelers are eliminated. I understand that "1 game at a time" thing, But I'm not a player and I don't have to.

 

Bengals will only get worse. They have a short window until they have to pay Burrow and Chase. Then theoretically the team will get worse bc they wont be able to afford to keep important pieces.
Ravens will have to get a QB. If they pay Lamar, they will always be mediocre but dangerous. If they don't, then who knows
Browns have some pieces but no picks. They really need Deshaun to work out for them to be any better than they are now.

 

unfortunately our HS QB didn't do better lol

 

No doubt it's hard to keep a team beyond that certain window, and the Bengals history is against them..that said one component they do have is Burrow. That kid is the real deal, a QB like that can make a team a nightmare to face even with limited talent surrounding him.

 

Are you aware we changed quarterbacks since last year

 

Jax just beat the Jets tonight. That helps the Steelers

 

The Steelers won’t need the Jags to lose one more game if the Titans lose to either Houston on Saturday or the Cowboys next week. If that happens and the Jags win their game with the Texans next week both would be 8-8 going into their final game against each other the last week of the season and the winner of that game would be 9-8 and would win the South division and the loser would be 8-9 and out of it and it wouldn’t impact the Steelers wildcard chances if they won out and finished 9-8 in terms of needing tiebreakers to get the last wildcard spot.

So a Jets loss tonight was definitely better then a Jags loss so need t the Jets now to lose at Seattle next week and then beat Miami the last week of the season. The Steelers need the Pats to lose to the Bengals on Saturday which would put them 7-8 as well and would help their chances. Then either need the Dolphins to lose at home to the Packers on Christmas Day as Green Bay needs a win to keep their playoff hopes in the NFC alive, or need the Colts to beat the Chargers at home on Monday night. If both Miami and the Chargers win this week and both get to 9 wins the Steelers I believe would he eliminated no matter what they do against Vegas on Saturday night as the Steelers cannot win any tiebreakers against either of those teams for either that 6th or 7th wildcard spot if both would finish 9-8.

So the bottom line this week is things would get somewhat interesting next week if the Patriots lose to the Bengals which has a good shot of happening and drop to 7-8 and either the Dolphins lose to the Packers and are 8-7 or the Chargers lose Monday night in Indy and drop to 8-7. If the Steelers win against Vegas Saturday and get to 7-8 and the Pats lose to the Bengals or the Dolphins or Chargers lose it keeps them very much alive going into their game on New Years Day at Baltimore still.

 

To follow up on my last posting here to kind of simplify things here is the easiest way for the Steelers to get in the playoffs these last 3 weeks

-Steelers win their final 3 games get to 9-8

-Jets lose at Seattle next week win at Miami the last week of the season finish 8-9

-Patriots lose to the Bengals this week, beat Miami at home on New Years Day and lose at Buffalo the final week of the season and finish 8-9.

-Tennessee loses either this week to Houston or Next week to Dallas at home and the Jags beat Houston next week which would then make their game with the Titans the final week of the season for the AFC South Title and essentially eliminate the wildcard chances for either team impacting the Steelers if one of them finishes 9-8 because it won’t matter if they win the AFC South.

-Need either the Dolphins to lose their final 3 games with Green Bay at home, at New England, and at home to the Jets, Or need the Chargers to lose their final 3 games at the Colts, the Rams at home, and at Denver.

That last scenario is the toughest one that needs to fall the Steelers way as needing either the Dolphins or Chargers to lose out is asking a lot. The Dolphins have a better chance of doing it looking at their schedule compared to the Chargers but the Chargers have also had some epic meltdowns before and could also lose out you just never ever know.

So as I mentioned above Steelers stay alive this week very much so going into Baltimore on New Years Day with a win over Vegas, Pats loss to the Bengals and either a Miami loss to the Packers on Christmas Day or a Chargers loss in Indianapolis on Monday night.

 

Lmao this board every year near the playoffs