Steelers AFC North 2024

Steelers Are in The AFC North Driver Seat

by
NFL

The Steelers win against the Ravens not only left a major stamp in the AFC North standings, but boosted the teams confidence as a whole. The franchise has their swagger back and it looks like the team has fully bought in. As quick as they are ascending, they have to buckle up and do it again on Thursday in Cleveland. With their next three games being AFC North matchups, they have a real chance to put themselves in the driver seat of the divisional race.

Strategic Advantages in AFC North

Thankfully, after more Chris Boswell kicking heroics, the Steelers’ playoff chances jumped to 94.7% after beating the Ravens. Most notably, their odds to win the AFC North shot up from 40% to 55.5%. If that were to hold for the rest of the season, it would mean their first home playoff game since 2020. Pittsburgh leads Baltimore by a game and a half and now own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Important not is that Baltimore dropped a division game in Cleveland earlier this season. After their first division matchup, the Steelers sit at the AFC’s No. 3 seed, behind Kansas City and Buffalo.

Things get tougher for Pittsburgh with three straight division games coming up. The Steelers didn’t play any AFC North teams until Week 11, which makes these games matter even more. They’ll be on the road in Ohio for the next two games, facing both the Browns and Bengals. Only to welcome the Browns back to Pittsburgh the following week. It is with the upmost importance the Steelers can widen the gap in divisional records from Baltimore before a brutal four game stretch to end the season.

After the battles in Ohio, the Steelers will have to go to Philadelphia to play the red hot Eagles and then a hostile Baltimore crowd. If they can make it through that gaunlet, they’ll have the Kansas City Chiefs heading to Pittsburgh for their Christmas Day matchup. If there is one coach who embraces these types of challenges, it’s Mike Tomlin.

The press conferences leading up to those weeks should expect a couple of “don’t blink” phrases from Coach T. He knows that winning in this stretch will place them amongst the best in the league. The Steelers are looking to steal that 1-seed from the Chiefs.

Strength of schedule analysis

Their remaining schedule ranks around the 15th most difficult in the NFL, although Baltimore’s path looks just as bad. All with the exception of their matchup against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Ravens still have a 97% chance to make the playoffs, but their hopes to win the division dropped by a lot, their odds fell to 43.9%. The Steelers could climb higher in the rankings if they win their remaining games. They would jump ahead of Buffalo with a better conference record.

Rulers of Their Own Destiny

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a crucial point in locking in their playoff destiny. Their defensive dominance and Wilson’s efficient leadership have turned them into a dangerous threat for the upcoming postseason. The franchise’s championship DNA has shined thus far through their recent victories and Mike Tomlin’s charisma.

They execute well in tight games and their offense has brought balance to the team. The toughest challenges lie ahead, but somehow, someway, they have managed to pull away in the most dramatic of efforts. If they are able to maintain their defensive excellence and clutch play in the 4th quarter this stretch can really get them red hot just in time for playoff football. When many thought all roads led to a 9-8 finish, they are now storming the AFC on fire.

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