Essentially whoever wins the PIT-CIN game on the 23rd gets in. With a loss today (assuming a Bengals win) they have the same record, but the Steelers have the tiebreaker. In fact, next week Pittsburgh can lose to the Buttboys and if they beat the Bengals they’ll still make it if they win out. All hinges on that game.
Well, the “if they win out” part is the relevant part I was asking about. It’s not the given you assume.
That Dallas win was HUGE for Pittsburgh. Enormous. The Bengals could have tied up the Wild Card race, now Pittsburgh can afford even one more loss this year as long as it’s not to Cincinnati.
I havent seen any of the Steeler Charger game today, but in my own little circle i predicted a Charger victory. I had a bsd feeling going into this game, the emotional win against the Ravens, the return of Ben, and the 4-8 Chargers, who i predict will win out and go 8-8. The Chargers and Norv usually turn it up a notch down the stretch, unless they are cruising and need to implode.
So, i said if the Steelers DID win, it would be a three point or less game, and i was laughed at. I just looked and the Steelers are down by 17 with 3 minutes to go in the game. Looks bad.
I’d like to know what happened this week to the Defense. I admit i thought the Steelers would struggle, but 34 to the Chaegers at home? Thats embarrassing. The defense has been playing pretty good the past three weeks. I’ll have to see if Ben had a pick 6 or the special teams gave up a score or two.
This is a shame… I don’t know what the tie breakers are, but the Steelers will still be technically in the running, although losing today brings a bunch of teams back from the dead.
They were really rolling when they barely beat the Chiefs. What is it with thr AFC west? Every other team in football kicks the shit out of that divsion except the Steelers. They will be 1-3 with a pathetic win over the Chiefs at home as the only W. The browns kicked the shit out of the Raiders recently, and so did the Bengals.
I am disappointed in their showing today. So, for those fans that actually got to see the game, was it the running game? Ben looking rusty? Defense laying an egg?
Thanks.
Winning out gives then 10-6. They play the Bengals, Browns and Cowboys. I think it looks bleak.
The defense didn’t play bad today. The Chargers started with about thirty yards better field position each drive and they stifled the Steeler offence for most of the day. I know they had to get some of the rust off Ben but I’m perplexed at why they passed so much today. The first half was really quite even, they could have controlled the clock much more.
Right now I’m starting to think the Ravens can’t beat backup QBs, which would be hilarious if I wasn’t a fan of the Ravens. At least the Steelers and Bengals lost. Good on the Browns though. How often can they say they’re the only AFCN team to win on Sunday?
ETA: Wrong thread.
The last time the Browns were the only team to win in the North was week 15 of 2007. Cool. Ravens can clinch with a win over the Broncos next week. Optimism says yes, their record against Peyton Manning says no.
One of the things that perplexes me most about that game is why they had the RBs lined up nine yards deep for a 1 yard run. Hell, I could have stopped that one. Time to bring Mendenhall back and at least try to run somewhere other than between the Guards. I also find it really hard to believe DeCastro shouldn’t be in there over Legursky.
As soon as they control the clock the defense will ‘magically’ improve again, no worries there.
This was almost as big a steaming pile of crap as the Cleveland game, but for different reasons. I actually shut the game off (I had recorded it) after that ridiculous ‘fumble’ recovery for a touchdown. Was it close? Yeah…could you CLEARLY see the ball going forward? Absolutely. At that point, I was done. I couldn’t take it any more. I went online checked the score and felt satisfied I didn’t have to endure the rest. (Look, it was a horrible call, and it pretty much sealed the deal, but I am not blaming the loss on the officials).
What the heck is up with our wide receivers? Wallace can’t catch crap this year, and a few of those drops on those early deep throws down field could have changed the entire tenor of the game. Ugh. They better get things figured out quick, or it’s not going to matter whether they make the playoffs or not.
Wallace’s stat line was pretty misleading. He was terrible but you’d never know it looking at the numbers. I wasn’t too upset about the bad fumble call because I don’t know what kind of camera angles they had for the review. The non-call that did upset me was the missed pass interference on Brown which went as a drop for him but he was clearly interfered with. I agree the receivers played very poorly. Burress made that nice catch but he can’t seem to run the correct route so he seems limited. They seemed to play lazy because they had Ben back rather than digging in like they did with Batch there last week.
Inability to get the running game going, some breakdowns in defense especially in the 2nd half, a bad call or two (the “lateral” that SD recovered in the end zone was ridiculous), “stonehands” Wallace, some (deserved) penalties that extended Chargers drives or ended Steeler drives, um, well you get the picture. It didn’t look like the Steelers came in ready to play.
Ben was fine, he was moving around pretty well, made some good throws and was one of the few bright spots. Most of the rest of the team looked sloppy, undisciplined, and disorganized. Wallace’s touchdowns came after he missed what looked like some very catchable balls. He has been very inconsistent this season and I can’t see the Steelers giving him a contract after this year. His pouting through training camp instead of showing up to learn the offense didn’t win him any points either.
I’ve no idea how the last 3 games will play out. It seems like the Steelers lose every game you think they should win and win every game you think they should lose.
Ravens fire Cam Cameron. Ravens fans rejoice.
Lifelong and huge Charger fan… yesterday was bitter sweet as I want nothing more than Norv fired.
Now talk about the 1994 Dennis Gibson deflection of the Neil O’Donnel goal line pass? That was awesome! 
Two years (or more) overdue.
I wasn’t impressed with Caldwell as a head coach though - I guess we’ll find out how he is as an OC soon enough. I hope they bring someone in from outside the current staff during the offseason.
Willie Colon appears destined for Injured Reserve again. He wasn’t playing that badly at Guard despite too many penalties. Bad news for a unit that hasn’t looked very sharp lately (though still much better than what we’ve endure the past few years).
Ravens are 18th in total offense. What were you hoping for with Flacco? 
With Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce, and Vonta Leach, we were hoping for an offense that wasn’t built around Joe Flacco.
I was hoping to see Mendenhall get a chance to prove himself next game but that’s out the window - suspended for a game. Ostensibly because he didn’t show up to the stadium for the game where he was benched. Shitty attitude basically.
In other news two more corners are injured, Cortez Allen and Keenan Lewis. Lewis looks likely to play but things are mighty thin at corner. Decastro has also been taking first team reps. Looks like Foster moving to LG and Decastro playing RG.
i agree with you about Wallace. That is a guy not interested in putting himself at risk. It has showed all season, and his lack of effort will not get him a contract with the Steelers next year. Mendenhall is gone too. He is really in the Steeler doghouse.
However, i dont understand what the Steelers are doing this year. Signing Plaxico is really outside of their usual behavior and smacks of desperaion. If they are going to reach out, why not sign T.O.?
They have also moved Pouncy from center where he was an all-pro, to guard, which i guess he can play, but it just seems odd to me.