Antonio Brown and the Steelers are one of the AFC’s most dangerous teams. (Getty)
If Andy Dalton wants to tackle lineman, that’s his prerogative. The Steelers just keep rolling, knocking off the Bengals 33-20 in Cincinnati.
The win raises Pittsburgh’s record to 8-5, but it’s only enough to keep pace. Both the Jets and Chiefs won, keeping everyone bunched together at 8-5.
Facing the top two seeds in the AFC back-to-back is no treat, but Pittsburgh could turn heads next week. They head home to welcome the Denver Broncos to Heinz Field, in a game that could determine multiple divisions.
In the last few weeks, Ben Roethlisberger has shaken off his injuries and is ready to get to business. The Steelers looked as vertical as ever against the Colts, passing for 364 yards en route to a 45-10 victory.
The success in the air is directly related to DeAngelo Williams’ performance on the ground. He has absolutely been an X-Factor for this team, doing an impressive imitation of Le’Veon Bell for a 32-year old RB.
Here’s how the Steelers look after 14 weeks:
Current position: 7th in AFC, missing Wild Card on tiebreaker
Remaining schedule: vs. Broncos (10-2), at Ravens (4-9), at Browns (3-10)
What they need: losses from the Chiefs (didn’t happen), Jets (not today), and Bills (small consolation)
As it stands right now, the Steelers trail the Chiefs and Jets on different tiebreakers. The Chiefs defeated Pittsburgh 23-13 in October, so they hold a head-to-head advantage. The next tiebreaker is record within the AFC, where the Jets lead the Steelers by a half game. For a full list of tiebreakers, click here.
According to fivethirtyeight’s playoff projections, the Steelers are projected to go 10-6 and make the playoffs. It also projects the Jets will slip down the stretch, finishing 9-7 and losing their spot to Pittsburgh. The Jets play in Dallas on Saturday in Week 15, and finish their regular season home to the New England and on the road against Buffalo.
Pittsburgh’s best bet is to keep winning. They’re playing their best football of the season, and can carry strong momentum into January. The Jets have tough matchups down the stretch, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to keep pace. The worst of Pittsburgh’s schedule comes in Week 15, when they welcome the Broncos to Heinz Field.
It doesn’t make sense to eye up the Chiefs. KC may the league’s hottest team with seven straight wins, and they hold a direct tiebreaker over the Steelers. They also face three non-playoff teams down the stretch (Ravens, Browns, Raiders).
Here are the full AFC Standings:
AFC Seeding
Roethlisberger passed for 364 yards and four touchdowns against the Colts last week. (Getty)
The Division Leaders:
1. New England Patriots — 11-2
2. Cincinnati Bengals — 10-3
3. Denver Broncos — 10-3
4. Indianapolis Colts — 6-7
The Wild Card Contenders:
5. New York Jets — 8-5
6. Kansas City Chiefs — 8-5
7. Pittsburgh Steelers — 8-5
