Steelers have clinched a playoff spot

It's not official but the NFL should be posting the Steelers are in.

The Steelers clinch a playoff spot with either

Raiders Loss or Tie

or

Dolphins Loss or Tie

Since those teams play each (unless COVID gets in the way), that result (whatever) it is puts the Steelers in.

So just state the Steelers as having clinched.

 

I was thinking this as well the other day based on that Raiders Dolphins scenario that they were already in no matter what. More importantly though this week if the Steelers beat the Bills it guarantees them of finishing ahead of both the Bills and Titans for seeding purposes if both of those teams win their divisions. The Steelers would still need a win the following week over the Bengals to guarantee they finish ahead of the Colts Incase the Steelers would somehow lose out and the Colts win out and beat the Steelers to do so. The Colts would then win the tiebreaker over the Steelers at 12-4 by beating them head to head but I highly doubt this will even be a factor at all and I don’t see this scenario coming nowhere close to actually happening.

But the bottom here with this Bills game this week there is a lot at stake here with tiebreakers and what not involved. Winning this game pretty much all but guarantees the Steelers would finish no lower then the number 2 seed and the only team they could still play on the road in the playoffs is the Chiefs. So there is a lot on the line as well this week besides trying to hang on to that number one seed.

 

I hate to piss in your cheerios, but unfortunately it's not. Our magic number with Los Vegas was 1, but with Miami is 2. If Las Vegas beats Miami, both will be at one. If Miami had lost, then we were in because with both at 1 someone would have to lose.

 

If the Steelers lose out, burn the city.

 

For me the Steelers were in the playoffs once they reached 8-0. Now 11-5 will get us in the playoffs but I'm pretty sure we will win more then 11 games. This board would be a hoot if Browns finish 12-4 and us 11-5.

Before injuries and Covid this team was a Super Bowl contender for sure and the AFCCG would have been something to see.

 

I think only two NFL teams ever missed playoffs with an 11-5 record.

I know Patriots with Matt Cassel went 11-5 and missed playoffs, I think Arizona had it happen as well.

 

Re-looked it up 1985 Broncos had it happen too. But, we also have an expanded playoff field so, missing playoffs at even 11-5 would be next to impossible.

 

Funny thing is the injuries we've had largely just effect our defense. Losing 2 starting LB's would hurt any defense. No one is saying we are not a SB threat because of our defense.

The issues are we cannot run the ball and our WR's can't catch. You have to do one of the two well to win in the playoffs. You cannot lead the NFL in drops and win SB's. We need to start using McDonald and Watt at FB. Claypool needs to take that next step to being a great WR sooner then we had hoped. Ben's inability to throw an accurate deep ball and our WR's lack of ball skills have taken away that key aspect of this offense...the big play threat. If you don't have that then the short passing game isn't going to work consistently because defenses do not have to respect the deep ball. This fact is what has made Brady so deadly for many years. This fact is what has been killing our drives all season.

 

No way they miss the playoffs

 

Banner, Conner, Pouncey, Boswell...

 

We'll be very lucky to win our Division let alone talking SB or #2 seed. IF we drop to the Bills and Cleveland beats the Rats, then its a 1 game spread with tie breaker with 3 games to go. 2 of those against 9+ win teams. with the broken and unable to fix offensive team we are fielding right now I am not feeling overly optimistic.

 

I'm sure we'll make the playoffs, but don't think we're getting past the first game, guys.

 

Peacefully... lol

 

The Browns would have to win out and go 4-0 and the Steelers would have to finish 1-3 for them to win the division. That’s not gonna happen. The Browns will drop at least one of their last 4 games and the Steelers worst case scenario if they do happen to finish 1-3 will at the very least beat the Bengals and that gives them the division if the Browns lose at least 1 of their last 4 games which they will do. So Long story short the Browns aren’t winning the division it isn’t gonna happen.

 

I had us at 10-6 or 11-5 if all went well.

Yes peacefully burn the city

 

May be wrong but win against cicny and one other team and we win the division, at least securing one home game. All of this is disappointing due to out start, and of course one hopes for the bsst.

 

I was looking at possible paths to the number 1 seed and that last game with the Browns in Cleveland not meaning anything and I actually found one. A game to keep an eye on Sunday is Kansas City at Miami. I know it’s somewhat of a long shot but if the Dolphins beat the Chiefs somehow and drop the Chiefs to 11-2 the Steelers would then just need to win their next 3 games at Buffalo this Sunday, at Cincinnati the following week, and at home against the Colts 2 days after Christmas and they would clinch the number 1 seed going into that final game at Cleveland where that game would mean nothing and the Steelers can rest players.

I say this because if the Chiefs lose Sunday and then win out and finish 14-2, and if the Steelers win the next 3 games as I mentioned and are 14-1 going that final game in Cleveland the Steelers could lose that game and still be the one seed because they would win the tiebreaker with the Chiefs if they both finish 14-2 based on better conference record the Steelers would be 11-1 to the Chiefs 10-2.

I know that is a long way off from happening but a Chiefs loss somehow Sunday in Miami really puts the Steelers in the drivers seat to get that top seed and rest players potentially that last week in Cleveland if they can win the next 3 games. So we all really need to be big big Miami Dolphins fans Sunday at 1 o clock.

 

Plus Wiz... we are starting our 3rd string C, with a Tackle playing Guard.

It may not be the only reason the run game sucks but it has to contribute

 

So, maybe a Molotov cocktail using a wine glass?

 

Limited training camp and no preseason doesn't help the oline either.
No one on the team is blocking worth a damn right now. In the WFT game I saw every one of them get driven back or completely miss their defender, including McDonald(s).

 

It's not 2 with Miami, it's 1. At 11-5 for both Miami (which means they have to lose to the Raiders), both the Steelers and Dolphins would be 11-5, 8-4 in the AFC.

Throw the Colts in too, because they'd have to be 11-5 (losing to the Raiders) but the head to head with the Steelers would only matter if the Dolphins were the 6 seed.

It would go to strength of victory between the Steelers and Dolphins first.

Right now the Steelers have beaten teams that have won 52 games. The Dolphins opponents have 25.5 wins.

For the Steelers to finish 11-5, their opponents have to win all 4 games, giving Cleveland another win and Cincinnati another win, pushing the Steelers SOV total to 54

For the Dolphins to go 11-5, they'd have to beat KC, NE and Buffalo and losing to the Raiders, which would push their SOV number to 51.5 based on current win totals of KC, NE and Buffalo. Buffalo would have to win another game (vs Pittsburgh to push them to 11-5), so that's 52.5

So the teams that Miami had beaten would have to win 2 more games over the final 4 weeks than the teams the Steelers. Week 17 is essentially a push, since it's all division games. Possible, I guess but I'm not really worried about it,

Games that matter most for SOV between Miami and Pittsburgh over the last 4 weeks

Cardinals at Giants - Giants win helps Steelers
Washington at SF - Washington win helps Steelers
Bills at Broncos - Broncos win helps Steelers
SF at Dallas - Dallas win helps Steelers
Browns at Jets - Browns win helps Steelers
Broncos at Chargers - Broncos win helps Steelers

So essentially all of this would be the parlay that would have to happen for the Steelers to be out

Miami beats KC, NE and Buffalo
Raiders beat Colts, Chargers, Dolphins and Broncos
Colts beat Texans, Steelers, Jags
Titans beat Jags, Texans and either Packers or Lions
Browns beat Steelers
Browns beat Ravens or Giants and Jets
Bengals beat Steelers
Bills beat Steelers
and Miami jumps the Steelers in SOV

That's one hell of a parlay. Possible, maybe but hard to see the KC losing to Miami or Pittsburgh losing to Cincy. Unlikely that Raiders beat both the Colts and Dolphins.

 

No the Browns would win 11-5 tie if they beat the Ravens and Steelers. Otherwise they have to go 12-4.

 

Another path is the Steelers to win the next 3 and the Chiefs losing to the Saints. At 14-2, the Steelers could win the tiebreaker on SOV. They'd be tied in AFC record, tied in common opponents so it would go to SOV.

Right now the Chiefs hold a 2 (54-52) game lead in SOV, but the Steelers next 3 opponents have 19.5 wins. The Chiefs opponent wins (if they lose to the Saints) for their other 3 opponents is 15, meaning the Steelers would jump SOV by 2.5 wins.

So root for the NFC East (Steelers opponents), root against the NFC South (Chiefs opponents). Root for the AFC South (Steelers opponent) and against the AFC East (Chiefs opponents).

IF the Steelers lose the Buffalo game however, they need TWO KC losses to get the 1 seed at 14-2.

 

Home field throughout would be nice, I don't see us finishing lower than 2 seed.

 

I've been guilty of forgetting about the loss of Banner, but that has been significant. Okorafor is fine as a pass blocker, but he is killing them in the running game. He just gets shoved into the backfield far too often.