Steelers notes: 1st-round playoff opponent, time, date soon to be set

One thing is certain about the four-game losing streak that ended the Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season. It assured them they won’t open up the playoffs with a home game.

But where the Steelers will play on wild-card weekend is yet to be determined. And it will be the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders who will determine it.

By way of their 19-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, the Steelers (10-7) failed in an opportunity to claim the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff bracket. Instead, they’ll have to wait for the end of the 4:25 p.m. Sunday game between the Chargers (10-6) and Raiders (4-12) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

If Los Angeles wins, it takes the No. 5 seed and will play at the AFC South champion Houston Texans (9-7 headed into Sunday’s regular-season finale at the Tennessee Titans) next weekend. That would drop the Steelers to the No. 6 seed, which means a second trip to Baltimore over a 23-day span to face the rival Ravens (12-5).

Related:

• Entering postseason on 4-game losing streak, Steelers have 'choice to respond the right way'
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• ‘I’m not blinking on George’ — Russell Wilson stands by Steelers’ Pickens after he has 0 yards in loss

The Ravens have won four in a row, including 34-17 against the Steelers on Dec. 21. The Texans have lost five of their past eight.

Times and dates will be announced late Sunday. The NFL has time slots for six playoff games on wild-card weekend Jan. 12-13 — two on Saturday, three Sunday and one on Monday night.

The Steelers have never played the Texans in the playoffs. They are 3-1 in the postseason against the Ravens, but all four of those meetings were in Pittsburgh.

McCormick injured

Starting right guard Mason McCormick did not play in the final two offensive series of Saturday’s game after suffering a left hand injury.

Coach Mike Tomlin did not provide a substantive update on McCormick after the game other than to say he was being evaluated. McCormick was at his locker and was not undergoing any intense medical treatment when media was in the locker room after the game.

Running back Najee Harris left the game for a period of time in the second half to be evaluated for a head injury but was cleared and returned to action by the end of the contest.