Locked in as No. 2 or 3 seed, Steelers could elect to rest starters in finale

In the immediate aftermath of the euphoria associated with one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was noncommittal about his plans for the team’s regular-season finale seven days later.

“We’ll ponder those possibilities (Monday),” Tomlin said after a 28-24 win against the Indianapolis Colts clinched the Steelers’ first AFC North title since 2017.

The possibilities remain myriad, even after the Steelers locked themselves into the AFC playoffs’ No. 2 or 3 seed after erasing a 17-point second-half deficit Sunday. The Steelers (12-3) know they are scheduled to host a playoff game the weekend of Jan. 9-10. But as Tomlin spoke early Sunday evening, their opponent for that game could be any of five different teams.

That number could have been cut by one if the Tennessee Titans clinched the AFC South with a win against the Green Bay Packers in the Sunday night game. But if the Packers won, that would have grown the list of 10-5 AFC teams to five.

The Titans or Colts will win the AFC South, and the other is a candidate to finish sixth or seventh in the conference. The Steelers would host No. 6 if they are the No. 3 seed, and they would play No. 7 if they are the No. 2.

The only way the Steelers can finish second in the conference is if the Buffalo Bills lose one of their final two games — at the New England Patriots on Monday night or at home against the Miami Dolphins next Sunday.

If the Bills lose both, the Steelers are the No. 2 seed. If the Bills split those two games, the Steelers would need to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Second-half turnaround from 17-point deficit gives Steelers win over Colts, AFC North title and at least No. 3 seed in conference.https://t.co/34wRxxmg2H

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) December 27, 2020

The Colts, Browns, Titans, Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens all had 10 wins heading into the Sunday night game and could finish anywhere from fourth to eighth in the AFC. With the exception of the Dolphins, the Steelers played and beat all of them this season (they defeated the Ravens twice).

Although there is a plausible argument to be made about which opponents would be better matchups, it’s virtually impossible to predict which team will finish in what spot in the standings. That makes the value of the No. 2 seed over the No. 3 to be marginal, at best. This is a vast departure from the previous 30 NFL seasons, when winning the No. 2 seed carried great weight because it included a first-round bye.

But the NFL expanded its postseason from six teams per conference to seven in 2020, limiting the advantage of the No. 2 seed to the mere possibility of hosting the No. 3 in the divisional round (in lieu of traveling) should both win on wild-card weekend.

That could prompt the Steelers to de-emphasize the importance of a Week 17 win at Cleveland and instead rest their injury-riddled and veteran-laden team in advance of the playoffs.

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