Steelers playoff chances How Pittsburgh

[lovelystyle]

The Steelers entered Week 16 as an afterthought in the AFC wild-card race. Many a sumed that it would take too much for them to actually work their way DeAndre Jordan Jersey  into the race.After all, too many other teams had paths to the postseason. Pittsburgh would surely be eliminated before it worked its way into the mix.Fast forward to Saturday night, and now, Pittsburgh can enter a four-way tie for eighth place in the division if they can beat the Raiders at home.Suddenly, making the playoffs doesn't seem that farfetched.Sure, the Steelers may not have a chance of qualifying for the postseason. Still, with three games remaining, they are alive and are a part of a jam-packed AFC wild-card race from which only a few teams will emerge.So, what exactly are the Steelers' playoff chances? Here's a breakdown of where the Steelers stand as Week 16 of the NFL season continues.MORE: The Steelers are currently the 12th seed in the AFC playoff picture with most of Week 16 in the books. Despite their lower ranking, they entered Week 16 just two games back of the No. 7 seed in the conference.At 6-8, the Steelers are currently tied with the Raiders in terms of overall record. That tie will be broken when  Garrett Temple Jersey they face off Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium. And if the Steelers win, they will be in a four-way tie for the No. 8 seed in the AFC. In truth, not many. They have only two head-to-head wins against AFC teams  the Colts and Bengals  so they aren't likely to win a head-to-head tiebreaker over anyone. Beyond that, they have a 1-3 division record and a 2-7 conference record.Those tiebreak numbers are among the worst of the AFC teams still fighting for postseason berths. So, unle s the Steelers can improve that over the final three weeks, they probably won't crack the postseason field.MORE:  Pittsburgh has three games remaining on its schedule. All are against AFC foes. The Steelers will play the Raiders at home on Christmas Eve before traveling to Baltimore to face the Ravens  Keven Durant Jersey on New Year's Day. Then, they will host the Browns in Julius Erving Jersey  Week 18 to close out the season.The Steelers' opponents have a combined record of 21-21 entering Week 16. That will make it a stretch of average difficulty for the Steelers, but it will be easier than the rest of their season has been. They have a .543 strength of schedule to date. It's hard to imagine the Steelers making a strong enough push to earn a wild-card spot. Pittsburgh would have to go 3-0 to close the season to have a shot at the No. 7 seed in the AFC. That leaves them no room for error as they close out the season.The good news for the Steelers is that they are getting some of the help they needed in the postseason race to stay alive. The Patriots, Jets, and Titans all lost in Week 16, and that puts the Steelers within striking distance of them as Week 16 comes to a close.If the Steelers beat the Raiders on Saturday night, they will be in the logjam of seven-win teams and could have an outside chance to move up if all goes well Wilson Chandler Jersey  for them. Still, they would have to go undefeated to have a chance to make the postseason, so it won't be easy.Of course, it's worth noting that Mike Tomlin has never posted a losing record during his time in Pittsburgh. The only way he can avoid that in 2022 is by guiding the team to a 3-0 finish.