The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer control their own destiny to become the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture, after losing to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season, but the Steelers did retain their No. 3 spot in the AFC playoffs.
The Steelers entered with an advantage over the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs and No. 2 Buffalo Bills. They are scheduled to play the Chiefs, and had a better AFC record than the Bills, who were a half-game ahead of the Steelers. But with the Steelers losing and Chiefs winning while Buffalo was idle, the Steelers will now need help to even pass the Bills for the No. 2 seed, let alone claim the top spot in the conference.
But while they lost ground on the top two teams in the AFC, the Steelers retained their grip on the No. 3 seed thus far. The Houston Texans also lost as big favorites, dropping a 32-27 decision to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, meaning they’re still a game and a half behind the Steelers for the third seed.
In the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens will have a chance to make up some of their deficit with the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Baltimore entered a game and a half behind Pittsburgh after their week 11 defeat at the hands of the Steelers. A win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday would bring the Ravens to a half-game back in the division.
The Ravens face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 before their Week 14 bye. Baltimore also has game against the New York Giants, Houston Texans and Browns in addition to a rematch with the Steelers on Dec. 21.
The Cincinnati Bengals were off this week. They’re 2 1/2 games behind the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot in the AFC, and would have their chances nearly dashed with a loss to the Steelers this Sunday.
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
The Steelers are a game behind the Bills for the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture right now. If the playoffs started today, they would host the Ravens in the Wild Card round.
1. Kansas City Chiefs 10-1
2. Buffalo Bills 9-2
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3
4. Houston Texans 7-5
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5. Los Angeles Chargers 7-3
6. Baltimore Ravens 7-4
7. Denver Broncos 7-5
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8. Miami Dolphins 5-6
9. Indianapolis Colts 5-7
10. Cincinnati Bengals 4-7
11. Cleveland Browns 3-8
12. New York Jets 3-8
13. Tennessee Titans 3-8
14. New England Patriots 3-9
15. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9
16. Las Vegas Raiders 2-9
AFC NORTH STANDINGS
| Overall | AFC North | AFC | Head-to-head | |
| Steelers | 8-3 | 1-1 | 5-2 | BAL 1-0, CIN 0-0, CLE 0-1 |
| Ravens | 7-4 | 2-2 | 4-4 | CIN 2-0, CLE 0-1, PIT 0-1 |
| Bengals | 4-7 | 1-2 | 2-5 | BAL 0-2, CLE 1-0, PIT 0-0 |
| Browns | 3-8 | 2-1 | 3-3 | BAL 1-0, CIN, 0-1, PIT 1-0 |