Four teams in the AFC, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, already know that they will be given a chance to compete for a Super Bowl appearance come January. With the majority of playoff berths already clinched, there are just three remaining slots for other teams to slip into. The overwhelming majority is expecting that trio to consist of the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos. On Thursday Night Football, the AFC West foes went up against one another in a high-scoring matchup that ended with a win for Jim Harbaugh and his group. That specific outcome has opened the door for a dangerous team.
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Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh smiles as he speaks to the media during his introductory press conference after leaving the University of Michigan.
The Ravens, Chargers and Broncos all have an 86% chance or better of getting into the postseason. Essentially, the goal for all three is simply to win one of their final contests moving forward. That could be a lot more difficult for Denver than most realize, especially with a rookie quarterback. The Broncos will have to take on the Cincinnati Bengals and then the Kansas City Chiefs. The latter could need to win the final game of the year to clinch home-field advantage in the conference.
The Ravens are expected to beat at least one of the Steelers, Houston Texans or Cleveland Browns, and the Chargers only have the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders left. Assuming Baltimore and Los Angeles get the job done, it's time to focus on the Broncos, a team that could absolutely lose to both Cincinnati and Kansas City.
If this were to occur, the next two franchises up are the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. If the two find a way to lose just one game a piece, a very dangerous Bengals offense could also win out and end up as the seven seed in the AFC entering the postseason.
It’s a long, long shot, but after last night’s game the Bengals are now back to lurking status for the playoffs 👀 https://t.co/bQIQP08I8A
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 20, 2024
A lot of things need to happen, but it would affect Pittsburgh directly and then the entire AFC playoff picture. The Steelers final game of the season against the Bengals could be to win the division if a loss occurs to the Ravens on Saturday. A Cincinnati team with even a breath of life could cause major issues in Week 18. The Bengals' defense may be terrible, but the offensive unit is averaging 28.5 points per game, the fifth most in the NFL.
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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (#9) gets ready to release the football and make a throw during a regular season contest in Cincinnati, OH.
The reality here is that Cincinnati dug itself a hole that is now extremely hard to get out of. That doesn't mean, however, that it will be impossible to sneak into the tournament. With an 8% chance after the Chargers' win on Thursday night, the door was left ajar. If the Broncos would have won and clinched a playoff spot, Los Angeles' remaining schedule pretty much had them clinching the seven seed anyway.
Teams that get hot at the right time can be very hard to defeat in the playoffs, as Steelers fans saw in the 2005 season when the sixth-seeded franchise in Pittsburgh went all the way to win Super Bowl XL. Denver could certainly lose its final two games, one of which is against Cincinnati. The bigger piece to the puzzle is both the Dolphins and Colts dropping a contest, which is certainly possible given how both teams have played and the remaining schedules.
The Steelers were able to escape Cincinnati with a 44-38 win back in Week 13, but that wasn't a characteristic victory for Pittsburgh. Seeing a Bengals team in Week 18 that is desperate for a win could spell trouble for Mike Tomlin and co. This part of the scenario gets squashed if the Steelers can beat the Ravens and clinch the division on Saturday, but that's a tall task without star wide receiver George Pickens.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A7345-544x306.jpg "Steelers George Pickens")
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens stands on the field as the team practices during 2023 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers And The Rest Of The AFC Don't Want To See The Bengals In The Playoffs
Overall, Cincinnati's chances of slipping into the postseason seem slim, but crazier things have happened. The next couple of weeks will determine the Bengals' fate, but the majority of AFC teams in the postseason already would probably tell anyone that Joe Burrow sitting on a couch come January is a much better reality to face than him on the other sideline.
Do you think the Bengals can get into the postseason? Let us know in the comments below!
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