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Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a critical win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 that might have saved their playoff hopes.
Pittsburgh had lost five of its last seven games to move to 0.500 on the year for the first time since Week 2. That win in Baltimore keeps the Steelers in the driver’s seat of the AFC North in what’s been a rocky season for the franchise.
The Steelers raced out to a 4-1 start with one-score wins over the Jets, Patriots and Vikings ahead of their bye week. A 23-9 victory over Cleveland in Week 6 put the Steelers in good position behind an opportunistic defense and reliable running game.
Things took a turn in October and November as Rodgers struggled. Opponent pass rushers got home more often and the Steelers’ offense wasn’t clicking.
That win over Baltimore eases some concerns, though. Rodgers had his best day as a passer all season and added his first rushing touchdown in almost three years to lead the offense to a statement win on the road.
They’re back at home in Week 15 to host the Miami Dolphins in a big “Monday Night Football” game for both teams. A win for the Steelers keeps them ahead in the AFC North race; a victory for Miami keeps their slim playoff hopes alive.
Will the Steelers make the playoffs in a competitive AFC North race? Here’s a look at the standings, playoff picture and our prediction.
AFC North standings
Pittsburgh holds a slim lead over the Ravens in the AFC North race but crucially earned that road win in Week 14. This puts them essentially two games up on Baltimore entering the final four weeks of the regular season.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, 3-1 AFC North)Baltimore Ravens (7-7, 3-2)Cincinnati Bengals (4-10, 3-2)Cleveland Browns (3-11, 0-4)Steelers schedule
Pittsburgh has one of the easier ends to the season league-wide. Tankathon ranks the Steelers’ final four weeks as the eighth-easiest by strength of schedule in the league. Only one team left on their schedule had a winning record entering Week 15 (Detroit).
AFC playoff pictureDenver Broncos (12-2, AFC West leaders)*New England Patriots (11-3, AFC East leaders)Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4, AFC South leaders)Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, AFC North leaders)Los Angeles Chargers (10-4, wild card No. 1)Buffalo Bills (10-4, wild card No. 2)Houston Texans (9-5, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (8-6), Baltimore Ravens (7-7), Miami Dolphins (6-7).
* Clinched playoff berth
Eliminated: New York Jets (3-10), Cleveland Browns (3-10), Las Vegas Raiders (2-11), Tennessee Titans (2-11), Kansas City Chiefs (6-8), Cincinnati Bengals (4-10).
Steelers playoff prediction
As things stand, it seems more likely the Steelers would get into the playoffs as the NFC North winner than as a wild-card team. Their competition for the former features the Chargers and Bills, who both have head-to-head wins over Pittsburgh, and whichever of the Jaguars or Texans doesn’t take the AFC South. The division race is down to the Steelers against the Ravens and Bengals – both teams they already have a win over.
Baltimore has a much more challenging road to end the season than Pittsburgh. The Ravens face three playoff contenders after a road game against the Bengals in Week 15: New England, Green Bay and Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh needs to win two of three games ahead of its season finale against Baltimore at home. Detroit and Cleveland on the road aren’t easy. We reckon the Steelers split those two and get a win over Miami in Week 15.
Even if the Steelers go 1-2 ahead of Week 18, they’d still likely be a game ahead of the Ravens in the division race due to Baltimore’s tougher schedule. Regardless of which team wins the season finale, we think the Steelers will take the AFC North and host a playoff game on wild-card weekend.