Patriots are coming but Bengals game bigger
Mike Tomlin mentioned it weeks in advance, Steeler Nation knows it蘑菇视频 coming and surely the players are peeking ahead to it as well if the coach already has done so.
Pittsburgh welcomes the New England Patriots to Heinz Field on Dec. 17.
You鈥檝e heard all the talk. Basically, the thought is if the Steelers are going to have any chance of finally getting by coach Bell Belichick蘑菇视频 crew in the playoffs, they must earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and to do that they鈥檒l likely have to defeat the Patriots in that Week 15 match-up.
Hold on a minute, though.
If all the Steelers鈥� coaches and players are eying up that game with two hated and formidable division rivals 鈥� the Bengals and the Ravens 鈥� looming beforehand, then this team is in big trouble.
The first goal is to qualify for the playoffs, and the Steelers seem to be well on their way of reaching that, but the next goal is to secure the division title.
A three-game lead right now seems safe, but is it? That gap could dwindle down to nothing very quickly if this team goes on any kind of slide.
A victory at Cincinnati tonight is crucial. The Steelers better be ready for Vontaze Burfict and a suddenly hot Andy Dalton 鈥� the latter is especially scary considering the current state of Pittsburgh蘑菇视频 secondary 鈥� or they鈥檒l find themselves at 9-3 and suddenly facing almost a must-win home game against the Ravens.
Yes, the Steelers handled the Ravens in Baltimore fairly easily in the first meeting, but coach John Harbaugh蘑菇视频 team seems to be peaking at the right time. They鈥檝e won four of their last five, and remember, they completely embarrassed a Packers team in Green Bay, 23-0, the same Packers team that a week later almost stunned the Steelers at Heinz Field.
The first meeting of the season between the Ravens and Steelers was likely an aberration. Baltimore has shown in the past in can win at Heinz Field. The Ravens had won six of their last eight meetings overall and two of the last three in Pittsburgh going into this season.
Lose that game, too, and suddenly, instead of a No. 1 seed being on the line against the Patriots the next week, it could be the division title on the line instead.
That蘑菇视频 right, losses to the Bengals and Ravens would set up Baltimore to storm back and win the AFC North title unless Pittsburgh could somehow find a way to top New England.
Let蘑菇视频 take a peek at the schedules.
After visiting Pittsburgh, the Ravens travel to Cleveland, then host the Colts and Bengals. Running the table from here on out would put Baltimore at 11-5 and it would hold the tiebreaker over the Steelers with a better division record.
Sound farfetched to you?
You won鈥檛 be saying that if the Steelers lose in Cincinnati tonight.
The Ravens will be smelling blood then. They鈥檒l be very aware of the situation: Hey, win in Pittsburgh, as we鈥檝e proven we can do in the recent past, let the Patriots do their thing the next week and then we control our own destiny.
The point is, yes, the Steelers have won six in a row and right now they actually are sitting at that No. 1 seed, but they鈥檝e been walking a fine line between victory and defeat and can鈥檛 afford to slip up now by looking weeks ahead to New England.
Stumbling into that game off consecutive losses wouldn鈥檛 bode well for their chances to upend the Patriots. The entire season could come crumbling down very quickly.
That蘑菇视频 what makes tonight蘑菇视频 game so crucial. Beat the Bengals, and all will be well. Heck, Pittsburgh could then even afford to lose to the Ravens the following week and still earn that top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
But lose tonight 鈥� and the fate of the Steelers鈥� season could be riding on a hard-hitting clash against a bitter rival, and that would be the Ravens, not the Patriots.
Rob Burchianti can be reached at rburchianti@heraldstandard.com or on Twitter @rvburch.