Steelers could know playoff fate before kickoff vs Ravens

The Steelers might have nothing to play for on Sunday night.

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This Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens got moved to the prime-time slot due to the popularity of the rivalry. But this move also has another unintended consequence for the Steelers.

By the time Pittsburgh kicks off, they could already be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. According to FiveThirtyEight and their playoff simulator, a single game will hold the fate of the Steelers.

The game to watch is the New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins. With the Los Angeles Chargers beating the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night, all that has to happen is for the Dolphins to beat the Patriots and the outcome of the Steelers game against Baltimore will be irrelevant. Ironically, the Steelers lost to the Dolphins and Patriots already this season.

The Steelers have been playing much better football since the bye week going 5-2 in their last seven games. If not for some inexplicable losses during the first half of the season, things wouldn’t be so tenuous now.

Let us know in the comments if you think the Steelers will find a way to sneak into the playoffs or does their season end this week.

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