Another week, another Steelers win. Pittsburgh remains in the drivers seat for the final wild card spot in the AFC. A win against the Buffalo Bills Sunday night would all but ensure their spot in the 2019 playoffs. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the Tennessee Titans are equally as hot and remain right on their heels. Here’s a breakdown of where we stand with three weeks left in the regular season.
AFC:
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2)
2. New England Patriots (10-3)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4)
4. Houston Texans (8-5)
5. Buffalo Bills (9-4)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)
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7. Tennessee Titans (8-5)
8. Cleveland Browns (6-7)
9. Oakland Raiders (6-7)
10. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
AFC North:
This race has been over for a while now. The Ravens can clinch the division tonight with a win over the New York Jets. Basically the Steelers would have to win their next three, while the Ravens lose their final three for Pittsburgh to get the division title.
AFC Wildcard:
It’s now become a three team race for two spots in the AFC. The Texans crushing loss to the Broncos last Sunday means they will be fighting with the Steelers and Titans right to the end. Whichever team doesn’t win the AFC South, will be the Steelers main competition for the final wild card spot. The Titans and Texans play each other twice in the last three games of the season. The Steelers will hope for a sweep from either team to help their playoff cause. Pittsburgh can drag the Buffalo Bills into this mess by beating them Sunday night. The Browns, Raiders, and Colts are still technically alive, but being two games back with three to play their chances are very slim.
It can not be over stated how big this Steelers/Bills game is on Sunday night. If Pittsburgh wins, they draw even with the Bills and would own the tie-breaker. With both teams having one easy game (both play the Jets), and one very difficult game left on their schedule, its not a stretch both teams could end up with identical records. That’s why the tie-breaker becomes so crucial fo the Steelers. A Buffalo win all but ensures them the five seed in the AFC. A loss on Sunday night really puts Pittsburgh in a bind. They would almost certainly have to beat the Ravens in Baltimore on the final week of the season to have any chance to make the post season. That is definitely something the Steelers want to avoid if possible.
Here’s a look at the remaining games for all the AFC playoff contenders along with their schedule versus AFC opponents:
1. Baltimore Ravens vs AFC (7-2)
Jets, @Browns, Steelers
2. New England Patriots vs AFC (6-3)
@Bengals, Bills, Dolphins
3. Kansas City Chiefs vs AFC (7-3)
Broncos, @Bears, Chargers
4. Houston Texans vs AFC (7-3)
@Titans, @Buccaneers, Titans
5. Buffalo Bills vs AFC (6-3)
@Steelers, @Patriots, Jets
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
Buffalo, @Jets, @Ravens
7. Tennessee Titans (6-4)
Texans, Saints, @Texans
8. Cleveland Browns (6-4)
@cardinals, Ravens, @Bengals
9. Oakland Raiders (4-5)
Jaguars, @Chargers, @Broncos
10. Indianapolis Colts (5-6)
@Saints, Panthers, @Jaguars
The Pittsburgh Steelers could make this all very simple, win out and make the playoffs. We all know things around this team are never that simple however. A win against the Bills on Sunday would also make things a lot simpler for a post season birth. Whatever happens, this promises to be an exciting race in the AFC that will most likely go right down to the wire.