The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t get their dream scenario in Week 17. With the Baltimore Ravens playing underdogs to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Saturday night, Mike Tomlin’s team had a chance to wake up on Sunday morning with an AFC North division crown already in the books.

Unfortunately, as they typically do, the Ravens found a way to put the ultimate pressure on the Steelers.

Despite not having All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson for their do-or-die matchup against the Packers in Week 17, Baltimore showed up huge in the clutch—beating the brakes off the Packers in a 41-24 road win. This was largely due to a stellar performance from running back Derrick Henry.

The superstar back recorded a whopping 216 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns against Green Bay. His 216 yards broke the record for the most rushing yards ever allowed to an opposing player at Lambeau Field.

With the win, the Ravens advanced to 8-8 on the season. And despite the Steelers sitting on a 9-6 record entering today’s game, they aren’t in the clear yet.

The Pittsburgh Steelers must win against the Cleveland Browns to avoid a dreaded do-or-die scenario in Week 18

Instead of being able to relax with zero pressure today and rest some aging veterans, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be fighting tooth and nail to secure a victory against the Cleveland Browns. Though the Browns have long been eliminated from playoff contention, this game is being held in Cleveland, and the Browns would love nothing more than to upset the Steelers this week.

A loss to Cleveland would result in a nightmare scenario for Pittsburgh that nobody wanted to see: everything would come down to Week 18.

If the Steelers squander a golden opportunity to claim the AFC North crown today, everything comes down to the Steelers vs. Ravens game in Baltimore for the season finale. This could make for an iconic showing (and one that would almost certainly be flexed to primetime). But it’s not what Steelers fans want.

After receiving a painfully early Week 5 bye, the Steelers are set to play 13 straight games without a break before entering the playoffs (assuming they get there). Having a buffer week in which veterans can rest before the postseason would be huge.

Unfortunately, the Tomlin’s team is set to play yet another meaningful game late in December. Let’s hope the Pittsburgh Steelers take care of business against the Cleveland Browns to avoid a dreaded do-or-die scenario in Baltimore next week.