AFC North clinching scenarios for the Steelers the next 3 weeks...

The Ravens are pretty much in a MUST win scenario in Cincinnati this coming Sunday if they hope to have any chance to win this division. In order for the Ravens to have a shot to still win this division going into that last game here on January 4th they need to go at least 2-1 in their next 3 games which are at the Bengals, the Patriots at home, and at the Packers, and they have to hope the Steelers worst case scenario go 2-1 against Miami Detroit and Cleveland. Now here is the thing though one of those two wins for the Ravens MUST be against the Bengals in Cincinnati this Sunday. If they go 2-1 in that stretch and beat the Patriots and Packers but lose to Cincinnati, the Steelers could clinch the division on December 28th at Cleveland with a win and that last game here with the Ravens will not matter. Now this is assuming the Steelers go at least 1-1 against Miami and Detroit which by all means is no guarantee. I like their chances a lot better against Miami here on a Monday night where they haven't lost a home game in almost 35 years as opposed to winning in Detroit on a short week the following Sunday.

So, if the Ravens lose to the Bengals this Sunday and the Steelers beat Miami next Monday night all the Steelers would need to do is beat the Browns in Cleveland in a few weeks and they win the AFC North. It won't matter what the Ravens do against the Patriots and Packers or what the Steelers do against Detroit in a few weeks. Nothing will surprise me about what will happen in the next few weeks but the game with the Ravens and Bengals this Sunday in Cincinnati is huge for how the Steelers could clinch the division the next few weeks and not have to have it come down to the last game here with the Ravens on January 4th.

 

I think we will have the division clinched before the last game and can rest our starters. It looks almost for sure that our first playoff game will be against the Bills but also a chance it would be against the Jags or Texans, which ever team doesn't win the AFC South.

 

That would win the North, but

This version of the Steelers has been awful in primetime (0-3)
The Steelers haven't been very good in Cleveland for 7-8 years

The Steelers could just as easily go 1-2 or 0-3 over the next 3 weeks.

And if that happens, the Bengals would be in play to win out and steal the division, Steelers need to win 2 games to knock out the Bengals.

Wouldn't stun me if it's

Steelers 8-8
Ravens 7-9
Bengals 7-9

going into week 18.

The Bills beating the Bengals yesterday was huge for the Steelers.

 

Ravens lose Sunday HEINZ Field will be going insane to beat the Fins. They'll play Renegade twice

 

I'm with you they could easily lose to Miami at home or at Cleveland and it won't surprise me at all. I think the Bengals are done after yesterday's loss to the Bills. Had they won that game they would have owned a 3-way tiebreaker scenario where if all 3 teams finished at 9-8, they would win the division. I am a big believer that you get what you deserve and if you're the Bengals you can't start a season 3-8 and lose a horrific game to the Jets at home when they were still winless and expect to still win the division. Those losses are usually very costly and that is what will keep the Bengals from finishing 9-8 should they win out the rest of the way which is very possible looking at their schedule. But like I mentioned the game in Cincinnati this week with the Bengals and Ravens is huge. If the Bengals win the Steelers can win the division by simply beating the Dolphins next Monday night and at Cleveland on Dec 28th and not have to worry about winning in Detroit which I don't think they are going to do or winning again against the Ravens here at home the last week and sweeping the season series which is always very tough to do. If the Ravens beat the Bengals, then they just need to go 1-1 in the Patriots and Packers games for it to come down to that last game here against the Ravens at home which would then make that game the Steelers have at Detroit important to win as opposed to it not meaning anything if the Bengals beat the Ravens and the Steelers beat Miami next Monday night. The Steelers surely won't make it easy they never do but I do think at the end of the day they will get it done in both the Miami and Cleveland games in the next few weeks mainly because of Aaron Rodgers and his leadership.

 

All 4 games are games the Steelers can choke in, especially the Miami game.
Miami is riding a 4-game win streak.
So Tomlin better have a sense of urgency over these last 4 games and the injury bug needs to be kind.

1. Miami - At Pittsburgh. Miami has a 1000 yard rusher and last week they pounded the Jets with the ground game. They can pass too.
2. @ Detroit - This is a tough one. Detroit is a well-rounded attack. I think all we can hope for is they underperform again.
3. @Browns - The Browns are terrible but have a sack leader, and Sanders has not played bad. They did lose to the lowly Titans.
4. Ravens - The Ravens will want revenge, if for nothing else to be spoilers. The winner of the AFC North will probably be the lowest seed among division winners and it is very unlikely any Wild Card team comes from the division.

Even winning out will not likely advance us from bottom seed div winners.
We need those 3 wins locks the Div. 2 wins has us in good shape.


The Ravens on the other hand, have it a little tougher.

1. @Bengals - The Bengals are scoring points and that terrible Raven secondary will have to find a way to step it up else Joe Burroughs sets a record against them.
2. Patriots - The Patriots are another complete team. It's a tall order for the Ravens to step up to this one.
3. Packers - The Pack is Red Hot and looking to be top seed..
4. Steelers - At this point, the Ravens are eliminated and just looking for payback.

The Ravens have 2 losses starring right at them and a 3rd loss is not out of the question.
They need to win and have the Steelers choke a couple games.

Overall, this NFL season has been unpredictable. It will go down to the wire.

 

I would laugh all the way to the playoffs if both teams lose out and the Steelers still win the division. Home game with a losing record and win the dang thing.


Then no more talk about winning season streak or playoff loss streak. Many of you will stop posting without being able to bring one of those up. Win-Win for the forum!

 

Yeah, we are pretty big Bengals fans Sunday. No wins are given in the NFL, so its not like there are any guarantees... but if you told me that we'd have to win 2 of the last 4 to go to the playoffs (one of them being Cleveland) at the beginning of the season, I'd have been happy with that outcome given the teams we have left. The Lions will be a tough game and the Ravens are always tough, but we just beat the Ravens, so its not out of the question to win either of these two games.

The Bengals/Ravens game will be pivotal to our chances.... If the Bengals win, we can just beat Miami and Cleveland and that's that. If the Ravens win, we're pretty likely to have to beat the Ravens week 18 to get in. They would have to lose to both NE and GB, which is possible, but not given. OR we win all 3 of the next games and the Ravens lose one to either NE or GB, which is a less likely scenario I think. We have a really good shot. It doesn't mean we will do it, but our chances are as good as we could hope, given our record. Its too bad we collapsed against the Bengals earlier in the season. We have a win there and we'd practically have the division wrapped up entirely.

 

What a way to do it... it would definitely be the most chaotic outcome for sure lol

 

of course you do.

we suck

don't forget it.

we will struggle against every opponent.

it is the Tomlin way. The Ravens suck too. Don't count your chickens yet.

the AFCN sucks.

weakest DIV in football this year

January will be another embarrassment if we happen to win the DIV. another colossal embarrassment.

 

THIS - losing 3 of 4 is a VERY REAL possibility

our RUN DEFENSE blows chunks.....

and we CAN'T RUN

 

It's not that I think that we are a good team it's that I think the Ravens have collapsed. It wouldn't surprise me if they lose to the Bengals that Lamar just calls it quits for the season and starts the healing process for next year.

 

I'd love to clinch early and get Howard some reps.

 

I think we will have it clinched before the last Ravens game but you know darn well that Tomlin will send meaningless Mason out there to play in a meaningless game. Instead of thinking about the future and giving Will Howard a chance.

 

As much as I hate agreeing, I do agree on this.
The fans were firing Tomlin last week, now they are talking playoff spot.
They've given themselves a clear runway path, now will they fall on their faces?

If they do, dare I say the front office should do their job?

 

We basically have a 2 inch putt ahead of us to win the division. Yeah if we blow this then heads should roll.

 

Its not that we can't... its that we are hit or miss. Our first 3 games our leading rusher (Warren) rushed for 3.1 YPC. His next 6 games Warren rushed for 5.1 YPC (and in the lone game he missed, Gainwell rushed for 5.2 YPC as the lead back). Our last 3 games Warren has rushed for 3.2 YPC. So basically, we are either running it well... or awful. 6 games at 3.2 YPC and 7 games at 5.1 YPC....

If Aaron Rodgers can continue to make teams pay over the top with his arm like he did in Baltimore, then I expect running lanes to open up again.

 

Its a playoff win or someone is out. It at the VERY LEAST has to be Teryl Austin for coaching the top paid defense (by a good bit too) to a bottom 5 performance. We're bottom 5 in total defense, passing defense, third down defense, and 20th in scoring defense. We suck. The only things were good at (and the only reason why we still have playoff hopes) are getting sacks, turnovers, and holding teams out of the endzone in the red zone. We are a middle of the pack run defense (which swings violently from good weeks to getting the ball rammed down our throat weeks). Smith can have some slack due to the fact that we have a more limited (and young) talent pool on offense, but I wouldn't whine if he got the boot too. The only problem is that whoever has been signing off on our coordinator hires needs to... well, not do that anymore. IDK if its mostly Tomlin or whatever, but whoever is in the driver's seat needs to have that ability stripped from them. We've had gutter tier coordination for a long time now.

If we miss the playoffs entirely, then I truly believe that we shouldn't pick up Tomlin's option in 2027. If we have another end of year collapse, then screw it... drop his 2027 option and let him determine whether or not he wants to coach for his Steelers future in 2026. If that is the route we go, then we should ABSOLUTELY NOT take a QB in the draft and wait for the next coach to make that decision.

 

One of us has to get a win (or both a tie!) in that week 18 game.

 

I think Austin's out no matter what.

 

every game from here on out will be a clinching scenario for us fans. pucker up, chug some pepto, have a defibrillator on stand-by, and try to enjoy the games!

 

hard to enjoy

Defibrillator always charged and ready.....since Tomlin took over

 

Austin is a dead man walking.

 

You mean sacrificial lamb.


With any luck, Khan and Weidl can choose the next DC. Tomlin shouldn't be allowed near that decision given the fact that he is likely out in 2027 anyways.

 

Impossible for both the Steelers and the Ravens to lose out. They play each other on week 18