One factor is for certain: if the Pittsburgh Steelers win (or tie) in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles subsequent week, they may clinch a spot within the 2024 NFL playoffs.
At 10-3, the Steelers simply must make it unimaginable for the Miami Dolphins or Indianapolis Colts to catch up within the standings. They’re each coming into Week 15 with a 6-7 report. With a Pittsburgh win or a tie, it might be unimaginable for the Steelers to get to seven losses and thus they’d clinch.
By that very same measure, the Steelers can get in if the Colts and Dolphins each lose or tie their video games no matter what occurs with the Steelers. The Colts are taking part in the Denver Broncos whereas the Dolphins are taking part in the Houston Texans.
Listed below are the eventualities for the Steelers to clinch their spot within the playoffs:
Steelers Win or Tie
Colts Lose or Tie AND Dolphins Lose or Tie
Clinching with a win gained’t be straightforward. The Eagles are driving a nine-game win streak, making them one of many hottest groups within the league. Nevertheless, the Steelers have confirmed resilient, boasting a 4-0 report in opposition to groups with successful information this season. The problem is heightened by the truth that the Steelers haven’t gained in Philadelphia since 1965, a drought that predates even the Chuck Noll period.
In the event that they clinch in Week 15, it will likely be the earliest they’ve clinched since 2020, once they secured their spot in Week 14. It could be the twelfth time in Mike Tomlin’s 18-year tenure as the top coach that they certified for the playoffs.
The final time the Steelers clinched a playoff spot in Week 15 was again within the 2010 season, when the Steelers ended up shedding to the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the Tremendous Bowl.
Defeating the Eagles would give the Steelers a really sturdy likelihood of securing the AFC North, although they wouldn’t be capable to clinch the division till the next week in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens.
Their probabilities at securing the AFC’s 1-seed and a first-round bye within the playoffs would even be saved alive. They would wish to win out, have the Chiefs lose at the least one recreation that isn’t in opposition to the Steelers, and hope favorable strength-of-victory calculations break their manner in a tiebreaker with the Buffalo Payments. The chances are lengthy at this level, however not out of the query.
A loss to the Eagles would make it extraordinarily tough for the Steelers to get the first-round bye, although their probabilities at qualifying for the playoffs and successful the division would nonetheless be fairly excessive. Previous to the Steelers’ Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, they’d a 98.9-percent likelihood at making the playoffs and a 70.3-percent likelihood at successful the division.
It’s much less of a query of if the Steelers will qualify, and extra of a query of when at this level.
