Battle Of The North

With a look at the remaining schedule for each team. Who do you feel has the best chance? My predicted wins are in Green and Losses in Red

Steelers (Opponents combined record as of today 30-38)
Arizona
Patriots
@ Indianapolis
Bengals
@ Seattle
@ Baltimore

Ravens (Opponents combined record as of today 36-19)
Bye
LA Rams
@ Jacksonville
@ SF Niners
Dolphins
Pittsburgh

Browns (Opponents combined record as of today 31-35)
@ LA Rams
Jacksonville
Bears
@ Houston
Jets
@ Cincinnati

Bengals (Opponents combined record as of today 42-24)
@ Jacksonville
Indianapolis
Minnesota
@ Pittsburgh
@ Kansas City
Cleveland


I may have my homer glasses on but it looks like we have a pretty darn good chance to take over the top, especially with getting some of our defense healthy. I think it's all gonna come down to the very last game.

 

Man I’d love to see Cleveland only get to 9 wins.

 

I think Baltimore wins the division, and the Steelers gets a wildcard berth.

 

Me too, They will probably end up winning the Rams game and Bengals game, but they are the Browns

 

No way steelers lose to Seattle. That qb, that offense is garbage.

 

My true thoughts is we would win out, but I had to figure with Indy and Seattle being away games, that those would be the ones we would lose...Definitely hope not though.

 

That could still be a tough game on the road, they have a good receiving group to deal with.

 

The colors looks very Christmas like

 

We still have to take care of business, but we are in really good shape.

The Bengals are cooked. Their season is over without Burrow, and with their remaining schedule they could end up a 6 or 7 win team... Heck they could lose out.
@ JAX - L
INDY - L
MINN - W
@ PIT - L
@ KC - L
CLE - L
TOTAL - 6-11

The Ravens don't have an easy game left on the schedule outside of hosing the Rams. I think they win that one pretty easy.
bye
LAR - W
@ JAX - L
@ SF - L
MIA - W
PIT - L
TOTAL - 11-5

The Browns find themselves bang up out of their mind. They can still play some defense and run it fairly well, but with loaded boxes it will be up to old man Flacco to pull them together. Not gonna happen.
@ LAR - L
JAX - L
CHI - W
@ HOU - L
NYJ - W
CIN - W
TOTAL - 9-8

We should be able to handle our business. If we run the table heading into Baltimore, we may not even have to win that one to take the North, but I anticipate it mattering. Indy and Seattle are our toughest tests outside of the final game against the Ravens, but Indy has a back up QB and Seattle has REALLY struggled of late (and they might not actually be that good of a team). Baltimore is tough no matter what, but I like our chances in a big game against Lamar, who has really struggled in the rivalry game and it prime-time games that matter. If we HAVE to lose one, Seattle is the one to do it. We pretty much HAVE to win the games we should (CIN, NE, ARI all at home), and we HAVE to beat Indy. Going into the final two weeks at 11-4 would be nutty.
ARI - W
NE - W
@INDY - W
CIN - W
@ SEA - L
@ BAL - W
TOTAL - 12-5

 

I hate to say it, I think Steelers go 5-1 but the 1 lose is to Baltimore. I see Baltimore going 3-2. If both teams are 12-5 and split the series who is AFC North champions?

 

I think both teams would have 2 losses in the division, it could come down to conference record I guess.

 

The first tie breaker after head to head is division record which would also be a tie. Next would be common opponents and if we win against the Colts that would give us the division title as the Ravens lost to them.
Wait I forgot that we lost to the Texans while the Ravens beat them. So that also would be a tie if the Ravens lose to the Jags so after that would be AFC record and that also might be a tie so who knows. I know if it comes down to points for and against we lose that one big time.

 

If the Ravens beat the Jags and lose to Miami and SF, the Ravens win the division based on common opponents record (Steelers lost to Jags and Texans, Ravens would have beaten both). If the Ravens beat the Dolphins and lose to the Jags and SF, then as of right now, the Ravens would win the division based on strength of victory (common opponents would be even Colts/Texans being draw) but the key for SOV would be Lions over Packers and Chargers over Raiders (the only way the Steelers win that tiebreaker is if Packers plus Raiders wins is ahead of Lions and Chargers wins - that's not happening due to Lions).

So the Steelers are going to need to win @ Baltimore to win the division.

Seattle is a tough place to play but hopefully they'll be out of it by then and maybe mail it in (but the Vikings loss tonight doesn't help that).

Indy game may be flexed to a primetime game and despite being a backup QB (he's not terrible) and they have Taylor back.

Neither of those will be layups and I think the Steelers need one of them to be safe in the playoffs (especially the Indy game).

 

Why does NFL.COM have the Browns ahead of the Steelers in the North Division?

2023 NFL Division Standings

 

That's not correct, we have the better division record. ESPN has the Steelers in second place and the #5 seed in the playoffs right now.

 

I don't take any game for granted. I don't like that the Cardinals got humiliated by the Rams last week. They are professionals who were embarrassed and they will be playing for pride and a lot of them for their jobs.

 

I think we go 4-2 the rest of the way, we should beat Arizona and New England. I also think we beat Cincinnati again as well as Indianapolis ( I am not sold on Gardner Minshew being able to beat our defense ), I think our toughest games will be traveling to the west coast and beating Seattle and then coming back across the country to play the Ravens on the road for what could be for the division or possibly the #1 or #2 seed in the AFC. I really think we get shafted on the scheduling....travel across the country week 17 and then come all the way back for another road game against your biggest division rival.... not a cool way to finish the season.

 

Steel Sharpens Steel.

 

The Rams ran for over 200 yards against Arizona, the Steelers should be able to win this game by running the ball.

 

Hopefully, the Steelers will have Minkah Fitzpatrick back by then. Thompson has filled in okay against a couple of backup quarterbacks, but they will need Fitzpatrick for this final stretch.

 

Pickett has to continue to play at least as well as he did against the Bengals. He needs to convert third downs. Otherwise, the running backs don't get the ball enough.

 

I think that Colts game is a loss, on the road and the Colts are in the playoff hunt.

 

We are capable of winning all 6 of those games if you take each one individually.

I'd be disappointed if we didn't go 4-2 or better. Any less and we probably lose tie breakers to Texans or Colts?

 

I don't know why that makes it a loss. The Colts aren't bad, but they are nothing special. It is a game that could easily go either way.

 

Agreed. If they go 10-7, at least two of the losses probably need to come against the Cardinals and Seahawks.