The Pittsburgh Steelers have a golden opportunity to wrap up the AFC North in Week 17 and also eliminate the Baltimore Ravens from playoff contention.
The Steelers go into Week 17 in first place in the AFC North. All of the wild-card spots are spoken for already, so the division is Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's only path to the playoffs.
The Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Baltimore did so despite not having quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field because of a back injury.
However, the Ravens aren't out of the woods yet and can still be eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday afternoon.
Here's what the Steelers need to do in order to secure the division and end the Ravens' playoff hopes.
AFC North standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
2. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
If the Steelers win
Pittsburgh will wrap up the AFC North simply by beating the Browns on Sunday. That would give the Steelers 10 wins and Baltimore can only top out at nine.
If the Steelers tie
A tie would also lock up the division for the Steelers.
A tie essentially counts as half of a win. That means Pittsburgh would have 9.5 wins with that result and, again, the Ravens can't finish with more than nine victories.
If the Steelers lose
The Ravens will stay alive in the AFC North only if the Steelers lose to the Browns.
If that happens, Pittsburgh and Baltimore would square off in a Week 18 contest for all of the marbles.
Yes, Baltimore and Pittsburgh would have the same record if the Steelers lose this week and the Ravens beat Pittsburgh in Week 18, but Baltimore would own the division record tie-breaker in that scenario, giving them the division crown.
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