NFL playoff picture: Steelers’ hopes dwindling

Matthew Szymanowski, Deputy Sports Editor|December 12, 2018

The+Steelers+battling+the+Patriots+at+Heinz+Field%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F7%2F79%2FPatriots-Steelers_2005.jpg

Bernard Gagnon [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

The Steelers battling the Patriots at Heinz Field https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Patriots-Steelers_2005.jpg

Following the embarrassing loss to the now 3-10 Raiders, the Steelers are in serious danger of not reaching the playoffs.

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Steelers still currently hold a 0.5 game lead in the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens. With a 7-4-1 record, though, that might not hold for long.

Left on their schedule, the Steelers have to host one of their big rivals in the New England Patriots this Sunday. Following that, they travel to New Orleans to play arguably the best team in the league, the Saints. Then they travel home to play the Cincinnati Bengals to end the season. More than likely, the Steelers will go 1-2 in that span.

The Baltimore Ravens have a relatively easy schedule remaining. They host the 5-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, travel to the 10-3 Los Angeles Chargers, and host the 5-7-1 Cleveland Browns. More than likely, the Ravens will finish their last three games going 2-1.

If what is expected happens, the Baltimore Ravens will finish 9-7, while the Steelers would go 8-7-1.

That still leaves open two wild-card spots. The Los Angeles Chargers are almost a lock with a 10-3 record. The other spot is up for grabs, though. The Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos are all within one game of each other for that second spot. The chances of a wild-card spot for the Steelers are slim as well with so many teams still left in the mix.

The best chance for the Steelers to make the playoffs is to win the AFC North. That would mean winning at least two games and the Ravens losing one of the remaining three. They should beat the Bengals on the last game of the season, which means they have to beat either the Patriots or the Saints.

The Steelers host the Patriots this Sunday, and a win would set them up in a prime position to win the division. The Steelers’ kryptonite has always been Brady and the Patriots. This season, though, has been full of surprises and upsets. The Steelers have a lot of problems to fix between now and Sunday, but with a crazy home crowd behind them, there is still hope for the Steelers. With a loss, the Steelers will probably miss the playoffs.