Previewing Steelers Playoff Scenarios Before Final Week

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Colin Miller | Last updated Dec 28, 2024 10:16 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to end their three-game losing streak with just one week left in the regular-season.

Although the Steelers will be in the playoffs regardless of what happens in the final week, the outcome of their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals will have massive implications on how the entire AFC bracket fills out.

Entering Week 18, the Steelers still have a chance to win the AFC North, but they'll need to win against Cincinnati, and they'll need the Cleveland Browns to upset the Baltimore Ravens. If that happens, they'll be the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and they'll host a Wild Card game at Acrisure Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers.

If the Steelers defeat Cincinnati but the Ravens beat the Browns, they'll be the No. 5 seed and travel to face the Houston Texans.

If Pittsburgh loses, however, it opens the door for multiple possibilities. They could still end up traveling to Houston as the No. 5 seed, but they would need the Chargers to lose to the Las Vegas Raiders, which is highly unlikely.

The more likely scenario would be for the Steelers to finish as the No. 6 seed and travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens in a rematch of their Week 16 matchup.

There is also an extremely small possibility that the Steelers could travel to face the Buffalo Bills. But, in order for that to happen, the Bills would need to lose their last two games to the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, and the Ravens would have to beat the Browns.

Regardless, it's clear that there are plenty of possibilities for the Steelers with one week remaining.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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