There was a point in the season when the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the hottest teams in the NFL and in complete control of their playoff destiny. Since then the wheels have come off and the Steelers find themselves at 6-6 and in a position where it is win the AFC North or miss the playoffs altogether. We decide to run the numbers and see what the outlook is for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have the following five games left on the schedule
@ Detroit Lions
@ Cleveland Browns
vs Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh goes into this week’s game against the Ravens with a 31 percent chance to make the playoffs. A win boosts those chances up to 65 percent but a loss knocks them all the way down to 18 percent. If the Steelers lose to the Ravens, they would need to run the table to secure a spot. Winning their final four games after a loss of Sunday gives them a 94 percent chance to make the playoffs but if the Steelers win the next three and lose again to the Ravens, the chances drop all the way to just 15 percent.
On the other side of it, if the Steelers can sweep the Ravens but lose the other three, they still have a 76 percent chance to make the playoffs by virtue of winning the division at 8-9. These numbers really punctuate just how important this Sunday’s game in Baltimore is.