A week ago, after getting beat badly by the San Francisco 49ers 20-3, many members of Steeler Nation were thinking that we are looking at likely the #5 seed in the AFC Playoffs. The night before, the Baltimore Ravens were blown out by the San Diego Chargers, and if the Steelers could just beat San Francisco; they would be in the driver's seat for not only the AFC North crown, but also the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Big Ben Roethlisberger was hobbled, almost a one-legged quarterback. There wasn't enough zip on his throws and the ball sailed, causing him to throw three interceptions. He also fumbled the ball while being sacked, unable to be as mobile as normal due to a high ankle sprain.
On Christmas Eve, Ben rested. Charlie Batch started at Heinz Field against the St. Louis Rams. I was confident we could win this game with Big Ben, I was just hoping Batch could get through the game without breaking like a fine piece of china. I got my wish, and the Pittsburgh Steelers shut out the Rams 27-0.
The Baltimore Ravens also won their game against the Cleveland Browns. However the Ravens allowed the Browns to come back from a 20-0 hole in the second half and get the score to 20-14. On fourth-and-two, the Ravens lined up as if they were going to run a play in hopes of getting a Browns player to jump offside. The entire world knew that Baltimore was not going to run a play, but rookie first round draft pick Phil Taylor jumped offside anyhow, giving the Ravens a first down and allowing them to run out the clock since Cleveland was out of timeouts.
Both the Steelers and the Ravens hold an 11-4 record going into the final week of the regular season. Due to a season sweep of the Steelers, the Ravens hold the tie-breaker and technically have the division lead. The only way the Steelers can take the division would be for the Steelers to win and the Ravens to lose in the final week of the season.
The Steelers play the Browns. Even without Roethlisberger, the Steelers can beat the Browns next week. The Ravens play the Cincinnati Bengals, a team who is still fighting for a Wild Card berth in the AFC playoffs. The Bengals are playing very good football, and I think they have a great shot at beating the Ravens which would put the Steelers into the playoffs as the AFC North Champions and the #2 seed in the AFC.
Steeler Nation, it is still a possibility that the Steelers end up with a first round bye. While we do not control our own destiny, we have to rely on the Bengals of all teams to get us the AFC North crown. Otherwise, we've clinched the fifth seed and will likely not see a home playoff game in the playoffs.
Get those Terrible Towels waving, the Steelers could walk off of the field in Cleveland next Sunday AFC North Champions!
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