If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to win the AFC North, they will have to earn it.
Help didn’t come Saturday night as the Baltimore Ravens kept their division title hopes alive with a 41-24 victory against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
A Ravens loss would have clinched the division title for the Steelers, who last won the AFC North in 2020.
Instead, the Steelers (9-6) can earn the division crown with a victory Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (3-12) at Huntington Bank Field. The Ravens (8-8) will be eliminated with a Steelers victory.
The Steelers and Ravens play in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium, and a Steelers win in Cleveland will render that game meaningless. If the Steelers lose to the Browns, the winner of that Week 18 matchup would be the division champion.
If the Steelers make the playoffs, they will be locked in as the No. 4 seed and earn a home postseason game. Houston’s victory Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers eliminated any chance of the Steelers moving up to secure the No. 3 seed.
In the opening round of the AFC playoffs, the Steelers would face the No. 5 seed, which currently is Buffalo. The Bills beat the Steelers, 26-7, at Acrisure Stadium in Week 13.
