Pittsburgh Steelers: Steelers Can Clinch This Week, But George Pickens Is Dealing With Injury
The Steelers can clinch their playoff spot this week, but it won’t come easy unless they get help.
If Pittsburgh (10-3) beats the surging cross-state Eagles, the Steelers are in the postseason for the fourth time in the past five seasons. However, the Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia since 1965 and the Eagles are 11-2, riding a nine-game winning streak.
The Steelers can also get into the playoffs this week with losses by the Colts (vs. Broncos) and Dolphins (vs. Texans), as both teams sit four games back of Pittsburgh at 6-7.
Beating the Browns was big for Pittsburgh’s odds of winning the AFC North. With a two-game lead over the Ravens, the Steelers have an 81% chance, per ESPN’s projections. They still have a date in Baltimore next week.
Pittsburgh’s .395 strength of schedule so far this season is the lowest of any team currently in the AFC playoff hunt by a significant margin, but that’s about to change with games against the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs up next.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Steelers have, for the most part, beaten the teams they should beat to put themselves on the cusp of making the playoffs even before they get into the meat of their schedule.
“The Steelers’ biggest strength may be that nothing about them stinks too bad,” wrote the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Mark Madden. “The NFL has parity at a nauseating level. In a league like that, not having an easily exploited weak spot can go a long way.”
The Steelers are dealing with an injury to top wide receiver George Pickens, who didn’t play in Sunday’s win over the Browns. According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, it’s a grade 2 hamstring strain.
Pickens’ injury complicates the Steelers’ final push to win the AFC North and will be one to monitor this week and next. He leads Pittsburgh with 850 receiving yards.
