Pittsburgh retains its lead in the AFC North, barely.
The Steelers’ chances of winning the AFC North dropped following a loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, but Pittsburgh still controls its own destiny regarding a home playoff game.
Despite the loss, the Steelers retain the AFC North lead, but by the slimmest of margins: Both Pittsburgh and Baltimore have a 10-5 record, but the Steelers have the better record (7-3 to 7-4) against common opponents.
For now, the Steelers retain the AFC North and the No. 3 seed in the conference, but staying there will be a challenge. Pittsburgh’s last two games are against the Chiefs and Bengals; Baltimore has the Texans and Browns.
Pittsburgh’s loss makes winning the AFC North the team’s top priority for the rest of the regular season, but for those wondering, the Chiefs’ win in Saturday’s first game mathematically took the Steelers out of contention for the AFC No. 1 seed.
The current AFC standings are listed below. Teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today are marked with an asterisk. Pittsburgh has already recorded wins over the current Nos. 5, 6 and 7 seeds this season. (Pittsburgh has also now lost to the No. 5 seed as well).
AFC standings during Week 16
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)* — clinched division
2. Buffalo Bills (11-3)* — clinched division
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)* — clinched playoff spot
4. Houston Texans (9-6)* — clinched division
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)* — clinched playoff spot
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-6)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
9. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
11. New York Jets (4-10) — eliminated
12. Cleveland Browns (3-11) — eliminated
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) — eliminated
15. Tennessee Titans (3-11) — eliminated
11. New York Jets (4-10) — eliminated
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) — eliminated
Steelers odds per FanDuel
To win the AFC North: +125
To win the AFC Championship: +1300
To win the Super Bowl: +3700 (+2700 ahead of Week 16)