Somehow, some way, the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to make the playoffs despite an incredibly young team and a 2-6 start to the season. With a Sunday night win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, the Steelers improved to .500 on the season. Thanks to the Patriots beating the Dolphins and the Jets falling flat against the Seahawks, the Steelers’ postseason dream is still alive.
And Pittsburgh slipping into a Wild Card slot is not as improbable as you might think. As of today, FiveThirtyEight gives the Steelers a 15% chance of making the playoffs.
For the Steelers to keep their season alive, here’s what needs to happen:
- Patriots lose to Buffalo
- Dolphins lose to New York (Jets)
- Steelers beat Cleveland
Easy peasy, right?
Actually, the odds aren’t too bad when you look at each game individually. Let’s take a look at each one:
Patriots lose to the Bills
Bill Belichick and the Pats got a much-needed win over the Dolphins in Week 17, and they’re the only AFC squad that controls their destiny. New England won’t be impacted by January Buffalo weather as much as other teams might be, but a road game at the Bills is no easy feat. Especially when Josh Allen and Co. are still trying to lock up home field advantage in the playoffs.
The Pats are underdogs by about a touchdown in the matchup.
Dolphins lose to the Jets
Which quarterbacks will we see this weekend in Miami? Mike White passed for 240 yards with two interceptions against the Seahawks as the Jets were eliminated. The Dolphins don’t have a much clearer picture. Miami backup Teddy Bridgewater is now questionable thanks to a finger injury on his throwing hand. Tua Tagovailoa is still in concussion protocol.
Will Skylar Thompson (one touchdown, one interception vs. New England) start under center for the Dolphins? Can the Jets pull off the upset?
Steelers beat the Browns
The final piece of the puzzle? You gotta win. Pittsburgh hosts Cleveland to close out the regular season and keep Mike Tomlin from recording his first ever losing season at the helm of the Steelers. It’s remarkable Tomlin is even in position to make the playoffs with such a young team and injury issues with players like TJ Watt and Kenny Pickett, but here they are.
Cleveland are early favorites in the matchup, but only slightly.
