There's just one week left in the 2022 NFL regular season. The Pittsburgh Steelers come into Week 18 having won five of their last six, giving them a realistic shot at the postseason. Just a month ago, those chances were seen as a major longshot. The first step to making it is to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The circumstances beyond that have gotten a bit more murky though.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Originally, they would have needed the Buffalo Bills to defeat the New England Patriots and the New York Jets to beat the Miami Dolphins. While that scenario is still in play, there is now one more possibility as to how the black and gold can get in. After Bills safety Damar Hamlin's tragic incident on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, the league is still trying to decide what to do with that crucial Bills-Bengals matchup.
One of those possibilities, as mentioned by Pro Football Talk and Mike Florio, is allowing eight AFC teams into the playoffs, eliminating a first-round bye for the No. 1 seed. To make things fair, there would also be eight teams in the NFC playoffs. But this obviously benefits the AFC East teams, along with the Steelers, as it opens up an additional spot.
At this point, Florio thinks the Bengals-Bills matchup is unlikely to be played at all. If that is the case, the 16-team playoffs may be a legitimate possibility. It would also lead to the AFC Championship being at a neutral site, something that probably wouldn't affect the Steelers, unless they made a Cinderella run. This scenario just simply gives head coach, Mike Tomlin and his unit a bigger chance at making the postseason, as they wouldn't need as much help from the other teams.
Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett has the team in a position to make the playoffs, as he's stepped up his play in the recent three-game winning streak. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
It would allow them to simply focus on winning against the Browns. Now if the Steelers do get in, they'll obviously have to travel on the road to one of the AFC giants: Bengals, Bills, or Kansas City Chiefs. They would be heavy underdogs (rightfully so) in any of those possible matchups, but making the postseason would be quite the season for a team led by a rookie quarterback in Kenny Pickett.
What would you think of eight teams making the playoffs in each conference? If you were in charge of things, how would you set up the playoffs if the Bills-Bengals game doesn't get finished? What are your predictions for this weekend's regular season finale against the Browns? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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