Steelers Playoff Picture: Week 17 Scenarios & Postseason Chances

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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the task at hand in Week 17 is a pretty straightforward one when it comes to their NFL playoff hopes. Unfortunately, after a loss last week against the New Orleans Saints, Ben Roethlisberger and company no longer control their own destiny and in turn, need some help. Before that even becomes a conversation, the Steelers need to start their week off with a victory.

Pittsburgh faces the Cincinnati Bengals, who have been absolutely torn apart by injuries to this point. The Steelers are huge favorites, so there’s at least optimism on that front when it comes to the playoff outlook.

From there, that’s where things get tricky and far more interesting. We’re going to take a look at the current AFC playoff standings and evaluate the Steelers’ chances to make the dance. The most obvious way to make it happen will start with the rival Baltimore Ravens.

AFC Playoff Standings & Scenarios to Watch

With both the New England Patriots and Houston Texans on their way to Week 17 victories that will lock them into the No. 2 and 3 seeds at least, attention shifts to a few other spots. The AFC playoff picture has a decent amount of clarity, but the No. 4 and 6 seeds are the big question marks.

As you can see, Pittsburgh’s loss and Baltimore’s win last week pushed the Ravens to the top of the division. In turn, it also left the Steelers on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Prior to Week 17 even starting, and even after the early games, the odds were against Mike Tomlin’s team to make the postseason.

The path for Pittsburgh, though, is fairly straightforward at this point, and it’ll leave their fanbase scoreboard watching Sunday afternoon.

Steelers’ Week 17 Playoff Picture & Chances

Entering the week, prior to any games being played, the Steelers were given a 23 percent chance to finish with the No. 4 seed, per Playoff Status. They also have less than a one percent chance at the final wild-card spot.

When evaluating the scenarios for the Steelers, there are currently three listed on the site as ways the team can make the playoffs. The first, and most likely, is a Pittsburgh victory/tie against the Bengals along with the Ravens losing to the Cleveland Browns.

Here’s a look at all three scenarios:

• Steelers defeat/tie Bengals and Ravens lose to Browns (No. 4 seed)
• Steelers defeat Bengals and Ravens tie Browns (No. 4 seed)
• Steelers defeat Bengals and Indianapolis Colts/Tennessee Titans tie (No. 6 seed)

It’s easy to see why the odds aren’t in the Steelers’ favor, but the good news is that the Browns are no pushover. There’s no question Baker Mayfield and company will be all-out to defeat the Ravens on Sunday, so that game should be interesting to monitor.

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