How Steelers' Win Affects Ravens' Playoff Chances

The Baltimore Ravens are still one game back in the AFC North after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 15's edition of Monday Night Football.

The result obviously hurts the Ravens as they remain in second place in the division standings with just three games to play. Baltimore needs some help in order to have a chance to leapfrog Pittsburgh when the two teams meet for the second time this season in Week 18.

Simply put, the Ravens need to win as many games as possible in the final three weeks of the season. It won't come easy against the New England Patriots or Green Bay Packers on the road, but the Ravens have put themselves in a difficult position at 7-7.

John Harbaugh walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the football game between Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ravens in Tough Spot For Playoff Picture

Even if the Ravens go 2-0 in those games and get to 9-7, it may not be enough to clinch the division.

The Steelers have a tough game in Week 16 on a short week against the Detroit Lions, but even a loss then will put the AFC North rival in control over their own destiny. As of now, the Ravens cannot win the division before the final game of the season.

All the Steelers have to do is win in Week 18 against the Ravens to clinch the AFC North. If they do, they will be at worst 9-8, which would match the best possible record the Ravens could be with two wins against the Pats and Packers while losing to the Steelers.

With wild-card hopes fading after the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans all won to go up two games or more on the Ravens, all they can really hope for is winning the division.

It's now up to the Ravens to simply not get eliminated before Week 18. They need to have a shot by winning the final game, but they can only control that at this point. If they were to lose to the Patriots and/or Packers, they would need the Steelers to match the result against either the Lions and/or the Cleveland Browns.

It won't be easy for the Ravens, but this is a result of the team's poor 1-4 start to the season. Now it is forcing them to play catch-up in the final three weeks of the year to try and squeak into the AFC playoff picture as the No. 4 seed.

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