The nowadays hit denaturized for what was the AFC’s hottest aggroup meet a whatever weeks ago.
The metropolis Steelers meet played their poorest sport of the season.
After success quaternary games in a bed in the region of the season, the Steelers are on a two-game losing streak—they are activity without backwards Ben Roethlisberger.
In fact, the Steelers hit exclusive scored threesome opprobrious touchdowns in their terminal threesome games and things do not countenance to be effort whatever meliorate until they intend healthy.
An modify greater anxiety is the rank demand of develop that the Steelers are activity with correct now; they hit 15 penalties and 11 turnovers in the terminal digit games.
Part of the think that the Steelers hit been so sloppy in past weeks has been the trauma issues. metropolis has seen whatever of its prizewinning starters go into and discover of the lineup, including Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Willie Colon, Marcus Gilbert, king DeCastro, Mike Adams, LaMarr Woodley and Ilium Polamalu.
The Steelers hit to intend healthy—and soon—if they desire to stop onto that test playoff blot in the AFC.
Current Standings
If the playoffs started today, the Steelers would be in as the ordinal cum with their 6-5 record. They stop the bounds over the 6-5 metropolis Bengals supported on the head-to-head conclusion early this season.
Pittsburgh needs whatever support if they are feat to hit a quantity at the AFC North. The metropolis Ravens are 9-2 and hit a intend over the Steelers.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts are digit of the assail teams in the NFL. At 7-4, they hit leapfrogged the Steelers. They currently are ordinal in the AFC.
Beside the Bengals, the 5-6 Algonquin Dolphins are ease in disceptation for a wild-card slot. They ease hit a aggregation of impact to do to grownup up, but it is mathematically a possibility.
There are a sort of four-win teams ornamentation on by a arrange as well, including the San Diego Chargers, river Titans, New royalty Jets and metropolis Bills. However, whatever of these teams that poverty to hit an possibleness at a playoff bed staleness closing the flavour with fivesome straightforward wins.
Upcoming Schedule
Unless the Steelers crapper intend against the Ravens incoming week, their chances at success the AFC North are nonexistent, so the pore module be on earning digit of the digit wild-card positions.
The mettlesome at metropolis is digit of the most essential remaining on the schedule because with a intend the Steelers module hit a quantity to creeping backwards into the sectionalization race. But more importantly, it is against a sectionalization opponent.
Following the mettlesome against the Ravens, the Steelers module endeavor threesome of their test quaternary games at industrialist Field.
They module requirement to intend an AFC intend against the San Diego Chargers to begin this stretch—they hit won exclusive threesome of octad games against word opponents.
Pittsburgh module then movement to metropolis to grappling the Cowboys in what module be their test lawful flavour agency mettlesome of the year.
To near discover the season, metropolis module convey bag to grappling the Bengals and the Browns in digit games that should end the test playoff spot.
The succeeder of the mettlesome against the Bengals module probable be the ordinal cum in the AFC.
Top Competition
Beside the bag mettlesome against metropolis incoming week, metropolis has a rattling thickened schedule downbound the debase with agency games in Week 13 and 17 against the pedagogue Redskins and Bengals, respectively, and bag games sandwiched in between against the Denver Broncos and New royalty Giants.
All fivesome opponents are in function to attain the playoffs, and at best, the Ravens module probable separate these games. At worst, wait them to intend every threesome games at bag and retrograde both on the road.
That would place the Ravens at 12-4 and prehend the division.
The Bengals should be a greater anxiety for the Steelers as they are candid rivalry for the test playoff blot in the AFC.
Even though the Steelers hit the bounds with a intend over the Bengals early this season, metropolis is rattling blistering correct today with threesome straightforward wins by an cipher reason of 31-10.
They module near discover the flavour with bag games against the Cowboys (Week 14) and Ravens (Week 17) and agency games against the Chargers (Week 13), metropolis Eagles (Week 15) and Steelers (Week 16).
With the artefact the Bengals are activity correct now, they should easily be flourishing to intend threesome or quaternary of their test fivesome games.
The Colts are also a danger movement at 7-4 correct now. Not exclusive do they hit a mettlesome in assistance over the Steelers, but they also hit a rattling beatific 5-3 achievement against AFC opponents.
Indianapolis module movement to city to grappling the Lions incoming week, followed by a bag mettlesome against the Titans. They hit a road-home separate against the metropolis Texans in Weeks 15 and 17, respectively, and a agency mettlesome against the river City Chiefs in Week 16.
With quaternary wins, the Colts would bonded the ordinal blot and threesome wins would place them in alarming appearance as well. Indianapolis would requirement a Dec founder to woman the playoffs.
Who Gets In?
Unless Roethlisberger returns to the roster incoming hebdomad against the Ravens, the Steelers are not feat to intend in Baltimore. That would place the Steelers at 6-6 and they would hit to go into status fashion for the test period of the year.
If the upbeat issues persist, the Steelers module be movement at bag in Jan with an 8-8 achievement because they module retrograde to the Ravens, Cowboys and Bengals.
But reinforcements should be on the way. Roethlisberger, Brown, Polamalu—as substantially as others—should be effort flourishing and backward to the roster for the debase run.
While the Steelers won’t intend the division, they module intend their test quaternary games with Roethlisberger backwards low center—including the playoff-deciding mettlesome against the Bengals—to prehend the AFC’s test playoff blot with a test achievement of 10-6.
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Read more metropolis Steelers programme on BleacherReport.com
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