Pittsburgh's Playoff Path Means Steelers Cannot Relax for Next 2 Weeks

The Pittsburgh Steelers tallied their ninth win of the season thanks to a big second-half comeback against the Denver Broncos in Week 15. With the victory, the Steelers' toughest stretch of their 2015 season is behind them. But that's no reason for the team to take its collective foot off the gas pedal just yet.

The Steelers' remaining opponents, the Baltimore Ravens (Week 16) and the Cleveland Browns (Week 17), are a combined 7-21 this season.

The Ravens are without starting quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Justin Forsett, receiver Steve Smith Sr., tight end Crockett Gillmore, two starters on the offensive line and linebacker Terrell Suggs. All were lost to injuries at various points of the season.

The Browns, meanwhile, are the Browns—a team with a terrible defense for which a serviceable offense cannot compensate. These should be easy opponents for the Steelers to take on and defeat.

Week	Opponent	Opp. Record	Opp. Last Win
16	@ BAL	4-10	Week 12 @ CLE
17	@ CLE	3-11	Week 14 vs. SF

But because of the seeming ease of which the Steelers should be able to dispatch their final two opponents and remain—at least—the AFC's sixth seed heading into the playoffs is why neither players nor the fans can consider these two games afterthoughts.

The Steelers haven't done much of their frequent playing-down-to-inferior-opponents act this year. They have already beaten the Browns once, and their loss to the Ravens came in Week 4 (and in overtime, with Michael Vick as the quarterback), back when Baltimore was far healthier. But the Steelers haven't had a lot of inferior competition this year, as they had the league's toughest strength of schedule coming into the season.

These final two games make up the easiest stretch the Steelers will have all season, and their playoff spot is not assured unless they win on Sunday and the New York Jets lose. If the Jets win out while the Steelers lose one of their remaining two games, Pittsburgh's players will be watching the postseason from home and not preparing to play a game of their own.

For all of Baltimore's injuries, the Ravens will be relishing the opportunity to serve as potential playoff spoilers this week. The previous two weeks aside, all of the Ravens' contests this year, both wins and losses, have come by a margin of a touchdown or less.

Baltimore has been playing tough football, and while that toughness factor decreases most notably because of Flacco's absence, it takes but one moment of the Steelers losing focus to cost them a win. The Ravens, regardless of personnel, are the Steelers' most hated rivals, and Pittsburgh must still treat them as a threat.

With the Steelers on the road for their final two games, they cannot relax simply because the Ravens have won four games this year and the Browns three. Pittsburgh is 3-3 on the road and 6-2 at home.

That those three road losses are against legitimate playoff contenders in the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs is a good sign the Steelers can take care of business against the likes of Baltimore and Cleveland. But lacking that home-field advantage could still play a role in the team's performance.

There is no guarantee the Steelers will clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. Even if it does, Pittsburgh can move up to the AFC's fifth seed in Week 17 with a win and a Chiefs loss.

Nothing short of keeping focused on the cause of winning will be the key to the Steelers stepping up against the languishing Ravens and Browns to close out the regular season.