The Pittsburgh Steelers now have a few paths to the postseason following their win against the Miami Dolphins .
The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football, and now they have a few different paths to the playoffs.
All things continue to point to the Steelers' Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens being for the division and a trip to the postseason.
In the worst case scenario that Pittsburgh loses its next two games against the Detroit Lions (8-6) and Cleveland Browns (3-11) and Baltimore wins its next two, the Steelers can still make the playoffs with a win over the Ravens in the regular season finale.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, talks with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. The Steelers won 17-10. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
However, the Steelers can clinch their spot in the playoffs in two ways before Week 18.
The first is if Pittsburgh wins in both Detroit and Cleveland and gets a little bit of help from either the Green Bay Packers or New England Patriots , who would need to hand Baltimore at least one loss.
The second is if the Ravens lose both of their games against the Packers and Patriots and the Steelers win at least one of their games against the Lions or Browns.
It's not difficult to argue that any of the three scenarios could play out, especially if the Steelers continue playing the way they did on Monday night.
However, things have proven to be difficult down the stretch for Pittsburgh in the past. Last season, the Steelers lost five straight games, including their wild-card matchup against the Ravens, to end their season.
That isn't to say history is going to repeat itself, and Pittsburgh's roster is quite different from that of a year ago, but the team's eight-year playoff win drought continues to weigh heavily on the organization.
Nonetheless, the good news is that the Steelers have control of their own destiny, which is not something they've been able to say in recent years.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Have a Few Paths to the Playoffs Following MNF Win
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