AFC North, postseason on line when Ravens host Steelers on Sunday

BALTIMORE —

For the third year in a row, the AFC North will likely be decided because of the matchups between the Ravens and Steelers. Except this season, it likely won’t be a fight for the division and wild card seeds; it will be a fight for playoffs or bust.

Week 14 marks the second week this season – and second consecutive – that Baltimore and Pittsburgh have the same record and are tied for the division lead.

The Ravens dropped their Thanksgiving matchup, ending a five-game win streak, while the Steelers lost a key AFC game to the Bills, mustering just a touchdown.

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has failed to score a touchdown in each of the last three games, totaling one since Halloween. While it may be fair to say injuries throughout this season to his hamstring, ankle and toe are showing as the season trudges on, Jackson’s struggles running the ball are also contributing to passing inaccuracies.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t performing much better. He has not scored multiple touchdowns in a game since before Halloween, still tending to a non-throwing arm wrist fracture and isn’t doing much winning lately, victorious in just two of the team’s last seven games.

The AFC North leader is trailing the No. 1 seed in the conference by 4.5 games, and both the Ravens and Steelers are trailing the final Wild Card seed by two games. All AFC division leaders, aside from the North, have at least eight wins.

Unlike some divisions, the Ravens and Steelers (and Cincinnati Bengals who are still alive) are all playing a handful of division games in the final stretch of the season. Sunday’s matchup marks just the first between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, with just about everything riding on division play.

“Knowing that your opponent knows you (is big). There’s a big rivalry,” tight end Isaiah Likely said. “Knowing the opponent, knowing how they tackle, how I would say ‘vicious’ at the ball (and) at the run point when you go into the ground, and just understand that (we have to be strong with) fundamentals.”