Trevor Lawrence Injury Will Have Big Impact on Steelers Playoff Hopes

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Instead, they will play C.J. Beathard, leading the AFC playoff race into a massive week. The Steelers will be one such team watching, as a Jaguars loss will ensure that if they win out, they control their own destiny.

A win against the Seahawks and a Jaguars loss immediately pushes the Steelers’ playoff hopes all the way up to 31 percent, according to the New York Times simulator. That’s all the way up 19 percent from just where it sits now at 12 percent. Pittsburgh would virtually be guaranteed the 7th seed at that point, as one of the Texans and Colts will end up going 9-8 since they face each other in Week 18, while the other would take the division.

The Steelers currently have a 12% chance of making it to the postseason, with the biggest hurdle being their own two games in front of them. The Steelers will face the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday and then the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. Both games are on the road.

The Steelers playoff hopes all come down to their own games, but a Jaguars loss would help greatly, and Lawrence’s injury at least makes that more likely for the sputtering Jaguars. But the Panthers have a case for the worst team in the NFL, which makes that tenuous even without Lawrence. Bryce Young and the Panthers did explode for an impressive offensive performance last week against the Packers but still could not pull it out, losing 33-30 in a close clash that came down to the wire.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

1 Baltimore Ravens 12-3
2 Miami Dolphins 11-4
3 Kansas City Chiefs 9-6
4 Jacksonville Jaguars 8-7
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5 Cleveland Browns 11-5
6 Buffalo Bills 9-6
7 Indianapolis Colts 8-7
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8 Houston Texans 8-7
9 Pittsburgh Steelers 8-7
10 Cincinnati Bengals 8-7
11 Las Vegas Raiders 7-8
12 Denver Broncos 7-8
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13 New York Jets 6-10
14 Tennessee Titans 5-10
15 Los Angeles Chargers 5-10
16 New England Patriots 4-11