The Steelers can still win the AFC North – here’s how

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which left both teams with an identical 10-5 record, the Steelers remain in control of their fate in the AFC North. It won’t be easy, but it’s an easy path. Win and the division is theirs.

After splitting the season series with Baltimore following Saturday’s 34-17 loss, the Steelers would still secure the division title by winning their final two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. That would give Pittsburgh nine conference wins this year. Even if Baltimore wins its final two games against the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, it would only end up with eight AFC wins. That puts Pittsburgh in the tiebreaker.

And any loss by the Ravens in their last two games means the Steelers only need to win one of their last two games. If the Ravens lose their final two games, the Steelers will come out on top.

As long as Baltimore doesn’t finish the year with more total wins than Pittsburgh, the Steelers are the division.

Of course, a win isn’t a sure bet after losing two games in a row and facing the AFC-leading Chiefs on Christmas Day. Kansas City doesn’t have the potent offense of past seasons, but Patrick Mahomes has dominated Pittsburgh in all three starts against the Steelers, two in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Even this year, the Chiefs have used Pittsburgh’s model of winning “ugly” and making plays in the final minutes to emerge victorious. They are coming off a 27-19 win over the Houston Texans in the first Saturday game of Week 16.

Even the Week 18 finale against Cincinnati is no walk in the park. The Bengals have a slim chance of making the playoffs if they win and will get help in the form of further losses from the Denver Broncos. It could give the Bengals plenty of wiggle room on the final Sunday of the regular season.

After the Steelers already won the playoffs after Week 15, they will play on Wild Card weekend. But losing the division would mean spending the first week on the road, which would make a postseason win even more difficult. Pittsburgh hasn’t played a playoff game since 2020 and has only one home postseason win since its last Super Bowl appearance.

The Steelers haven’t won the AFC North since 2020. If they fail to win the title this year, the four-year division title drought will be the longest since six years from 1985 to 1991. The Steelers spent most of the year leading the division after getting off to a strong 4-2 start while the rest of the division sputtered. Baltimore started the year 0-2, Cincinnati 1-4, and Cleveland’s season was doomed from the start.

Now it’s just a matter of two teams winning the AFC North crown.