Steelers Playoff: Pittsburgh Shoots Back Into AFC Field on Sunday

The Steelers playoff chances are still on shaky ground, but they are back in the playoff picture for now. With the 34-14 loss for the Indianapolis Colts against the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston’s 30-6 loss to the New York Jets and Zach Wilson, the Steelers have shot up to the sixth seed in the AFC.

Pittsburgh can not move higher or lower this week, and will be locked into that spot heading into their Saturday clash against the Indianapolis Colts. Their next two games against the Colts and Bengals will likely decide their playoff fate. But if they can win both, they will likely have to snag just one of their last two games against Seattle and Baltimore to get into the playoffs.

So, the Steelers playoff chances remain tenuous just by their own doing. But they have fallen behind the Cleveland Browns, who won 31-27 against the Jacksonville Jaguars to catapult up to the fifth seed. If the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills both win, Cincinnati, who is at the seventh seed right now, would get booted from the playoffs for those teams. Pittsburgh, however, still owns tiebreakers over both of those teams.

With the Ravens knocking off the Rams, they hold the top seed in the AFC at 10-3 and seem likely to win the AFC North despite the conglomeration of teams etched at that spot. The Steelers playoff spot will largely hinge on the next two weeks and how much help they can get from other teams. Five teams are standing at seven wins, with more potentially on the way out of the late slate of games.

The Bills are playing in Arrowhead Stadium against a Chiefs team trying to find their identity while the Chargers play host to Russell Wilson and the Broncos in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium in a pivotal matchup.