A Patriots win over the Ravens on Monday Night Football would cap a storybook Week 14 for the Steelers.
Le’Veon Bell ran for a franchise-record 236 yards in Sunday’s 27-20 win at Buffalo, the Steelers’ fourth straight win. If the Patriots beat the Ravens Monday at Gillette Stadium, the Steelers (8-5) would be alone atop the AFC North.
Even if that happens, however, the Steelers probably still have to beat the Ravens on Christmas Day in Pittsburgh to win the division.
The Ravens beat the Steelers earlier in the season. If they go to Heinz Field down by one game in the division and beat the Steelers a second time, they’d have the tiebreaker. In that case, the Steelers would need to beat the Browns at home in Week 17. That would be the easy part. They’d also need the Ravens to lose at Cincinnati against a team that might have nothing to play for.
Baltimore’s last three games are at home against the Eagles, who have lost eight of their last 10, at Pittsburgh and at Cincinnati.
The Steelers go to Cincinnati next week with the Bengals’ playoff hopes still flickering. Then they host the Ravens and the Browns to close out the regular season.
If the Ravens lose to the Patriots Monday night and then lose another game, then the Steelers can win the division without beating the Ravens. But they’d have to win their other two games.
The simplest way to put it is that if the Steelers win their last three games, they’ll win the AFC North and be guaranteed at least the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
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