Football Footnotes: As Steelers spiral, much of their AFC playoff fate could be determined this weekend

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The Steelers are locked into one of the AFC’s seven playoff spots. You just wouldn’t know it based on how they performed against three straight playoff teams over these past three weeks.

Against a trio of division leaders — the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East), the Baltimore Ravens (AFC North) and Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West) — the Black and Gold went 0-3, losing by a combined score of 90-40.

The Steelers’ AFC North title hopes have been reduced to a flicker. They could fall anywhere among the three wild card slots if the Ravens end up clinching the division.

What happens this weekend, as the Steelers are licking their wounds while the rest of the league plays, will go a long way toward determining their fate for the postseason.

In this Friday’s “Football Footnotes,” we break down all the scenarios the Steelers will be tracking as the weekend plays out.

• The first game on Saturday is the Los Angeles Chargers at the New England Patriots. It’s a 1 p.m. start.

The Chargers come in at 9-6, currently holding the sixth spot in the AFC playoff bracket, right behind the Steelers (10-6). If they win or tie in New England, they clinch a playoff spot.

The Chargers can pass the Steelers in the standings if they win their last two games and the Steelers lose next week against the Cincinnati Bengals. If the teams are tied, the Steelers win the tiebreaker by virtue of their Week 3 victory over the Chargers (20-10) at Acrisure Stadium.

Bet Rivers has Los Angeles as a 4-point favorite. Their stats state that the Chargers have seven straight wins as road favorites against the AFC. L.A. has also covered the spread against the last four teams the club has faced with a losing record. New England is 3-12.

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Whoever gets the top wild card spot as the fifth seed would be in a preferred position. That club gets to play in Houston during the first round of the postseason. Despite having won the AFC South, the Texans have been exposed after playing against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, just like the Steelers have been.

Houston lost those two games by a combined score of 58-21. The Texans have lost four in a row against teams that currently have a winning record.

Whoever winds up as the sixth- or seventh-seeded teams would have to visit either Buffalo or the AFC North champion in the first round, depending on how things shake out for the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds.

• The second game Saturday (4:30 p.m.) features the Bengals (7-8) hosting the Denver Broncos. Like the Chargers, the Broncos are 9-6. They are currently behind the Steelers and Chargers, holding the third spot in the wild-card standings.

Denver lost at home to the Steelers in Week 2 (13-6) and dropped both of its games against the Chargers in the AFC West. So the Broncos have no tiebreakers in their pocket against either of those two foes.

Denver ends the year at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have clinched home-field throughout the AFC Playoffs. The Chargers visit the 3-12 Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18.

Bet Rivers has Denver as a 3-point underdog in Cincy. The Broncos have lost five in a row on the road versus the AFC North. The over-under in this one is 49 ½ points. Denver’s last four games have all gone over the total.

Like Los Angeles, Denver would need to win its last two games, and the Steelers would have to fall to Cincinnati in order for the Broncos to finish in front of Pittsburgh in the wild card seeding.

• If the Bengals lose or tie, they are eliminated from playoff contention. The Steelers sure would like that. That would mean that the Bengals would come to Acrisure Stadium with nothing to play for next week.

As of now, the Bengals are in 10th place in the AFC, behind the seven playoff teams as well as the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) and Miami Dolphins (7-8).

Not only would Cincinnati be less than motivated to win in Week 18 if they are eliminated, but they might rest some star players, especially if they get banged up at all against Denver.

Specifically, offensive stars Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase come to mind. So does NFL sacks leader (13.5) Trey Hendrickson.

That said, Chase does have a shot at the wide receiver triple crown. He currently leads the NFL in catches (108), yards (1,510) and touchdown receptions (16). If the Bengals feel the need to pad those stats by the time the teams start at Acrisure Stadium next weekend, he and Burrow may both play regardless of the organization’s playoff status.

Right now, Chase leads in touchdowns by four over Washington’s Terry McLaurin (12). He has seven more catches than Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb (101) and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson trails by 123 yards (1,387).

• The Steelers’ divisional hopes aren’t completely flushed yet. They can still win the AFC North with a victory over the Bengals and a Ravens’ loss at home against the Browns next week.

However, the Steelers can’t be anything better than the No. 3 seed. Under that scenario, the Steelers would win the North via a tiebreaker with Baltimore at 11-6. Buffalo already has 12 wins, with games against the Jets and Patriots still to go.

Baltimore can still move up to the No. 2 slot in the AFC if it beats the Browns and the Bills lose twice. The Ravens topped the Bills, 35-10, in Week 4. So if those teams are both 12-5 at season’s end, the Ravens own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Given Buffalo’s weak opposition, though, that’s doubtful.

So, the most likely result for the Steelers (at this point) is that they will be going to Houston after beating Cincinnati at home next week. Or, if they lose to the Bengals, then they could go to Baltimore again — if the Chargers beat New England and the Raiders.

A road trip to Buffalo (like last year) is possible if the Steelers lose and end up in the No. 7 hole after the Chargers and Broncos both win twice, and the Bills end up in the No. 2 slot — or if the Steelers are the No. 6 and the Bills are the No. 3.

• Just like the Bengals, the Colts and Dolphins are still entertaining faint hopes of making the AFC playoffs. However, they both face elimination with a loss or tie on Sunday. They could also both be bounced from contention if the Chargers and Broncos both win or tie.

The Colts are in New York to play the Giants at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Dolphins have a 4:05 p.m. start in Cleveland.

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