So, You're sayin' there's a chance...

by Dave in Cbus on Dec 14, 2009 1:28 AM EST

Steelers can still make the playoffs as the 5th seed IF all of the following happen; they are the 6th seed if all but one of the following happens:

Of course, the Steelers must win out, which is probably more far fetched than the following scenarios...(current record…then remaining games)

Teams in the AFC Wild Card Hunt:
DENVER (8-5) must lose 2 games…Oak, @Phi, KC. (lose head to head TB with Steelers)

BALTIMORE (7-6) must lose 2 games…Chi, @Pit, @Oak (only one loss gives Baltimore the division record TB)

JACKSONVILLE (7-6) must lose 2 games…Ind, @NE, @Cle (if they only lose 1, they hold better conference record TB)

NEW YORK (7-6) must lose 2 games…Atl, @Ind, Cin (if they lose just one to the Bengals, we’d tie for Conference Record and Common Opponents Record TBs, next TB is strength of victory, I have no idea how that’s determined. If they lose only one to Atl or Ind they finish ahead of the Steelers based on conference record or common opponents respectively)

HOUSTON (6-7) must lose 1 game…@Stl, @Mia, NE (if they win out they beat Steelers by common opponent TB)

MIAMI (7-6) must lose to the Steelers (of course, the Steelers must win out)

TENNESSEE (6-7) is Out against Pit (if they win out they lose the head to head TB to the Steelers)

Denver and Baltimore have the easiest schedules so it will most likely be them that make it into the playoffs. I think Jacksonville will lose their next 2 and NY will lose 2 if not their last 3.

As bad as the Steelers have looked this team is not a team without talent. Despite the losing streak and the awful losses to awful teams this same team has also defeated Denver (easily), San Diego and the Minnesota Favre’s. There are a lot of Ifs, for sure, but I won’t quit rooting for the Steelers even if they’re mathematically eliminated, I certainly won’t stop while there’s still a chance, no matter how far fetched. Crazier things have happened. And once you're in the playoffs, the records mean nothing. Just ask the 2005 Indianapolis Colts.

**I reserve the right to be wrong on my playoff scenario calculations**

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we need Denver or Balt to Faceplant somewhere along the line. Upsets happen every week.

it aint pretty but we aint dead. I wish we were 12-4 every year but we aint.

I could see the Raiders puttin up a fight in the black hole week 17, wouldnt that be somethin?

2 Home games @ Heinz and we COULD go into week 17 with a CHANCE….isnt that all we can really ask for?

I drank before the game cause I was excited
I drank during the game cause I was confused
I drank after the game cause, well, I was already drinking. why not?

by Steelchamps !! on Dec 14, 2009 1:37 AM EST reply actions

I don't care about the Chargers. I'll blow my damn whistle whenever I damn feel like it. Every time I blow my damn whistle, your mother blows me.

by Hochuli loves Broccoli on Dec 14, 2009 1:49 PM EST up reply actions

I knew someone would match that title with Dumb and Dumber

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

by PixburghArn on Dec 15, 2009 8:57 AM EST up reply actions

strength of victory

is the total number of wins the opponents you’ve beaten have (another way to say it is adding up the win percentage of all the ppl you’ve beaten). hence, how strong your victories are

-also, its important to note, that if the jets end up with the same record as us and lose to the bengals it could still potentially create problems for us. if we end up in a multi team tie for the playoffs, our head-to-head wins on the teams are nullified if we didnt beat every team involved in the tie. but that’s far too many teams that could be involved with that tie right now to figure out all the implications

lol, i do like your disclaimer though.

by t1mmy10 on Dec 14, 2009 1:57 AM EST reply actions

EDIT

the jets getting involved with the multi team tie WOULDNT matter if the dolphins ended with the same record as them, because the dolphins would have the division tie breaker over the jets and eliminate them that way. but if the fins were to lose another game besides the one against us then we’d lose the breaker to the jets.

by t1mmy10 on Dec 14, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions

more like one in a million....

Nice breakdown. It seems as though the chance of getting the 6th seed isn’t that far fetched after all. Next week I’m rooting for Chicago!

by Akmed on Dec 14, 2009 2:02 AM EST reply actions

or Raiders in the Black Hole week 17

they could

I drank before the game cause I was excited
I drank during the game cause I was confused
I drank after the game cause, well, I was already drinking. why not?

by Steelchamps !! on Dec 14, 2009 2:06 AM EST up reply actions

one in a mill is a bit harsh

I drank before the game cause I was excited
I drank during the game cause I was confused
I drank after the game cause, well, I was already drinking. why not?

by Steelchamps !! on Dec 14, 2009 2:07 AM EST up reply actions

do you like ray lewis? and are you a ravens fan?

ask me about my name : )

I drank before the game cause I was excited
I drank during the game cause I was confused
I drank after the game cause, well, I was already drinking. why not?

by Steelchamps !! on Dec 14, 2009 2:05 AM EST reply actions

so, head to head is the first tiebreaker, if we've vs. them?

by GDEUCE on Dec 14, 2009 2:56 AM EST reply actions

I THINK

not sure about a 3 way tie tho.

I drank before the game cause I was excited
I drank during the game cause I was confused
I drank after the game cause, well, I was already drinking. why not?

by Steelchamps !! on Dec 14, 2009 3:05 AM EST up reply actions

The Hell that Tomlin & the Steelers have unleashed on me this December is indescribable.

by John Stephens on Dec 14, 2009 8:57 AM EST reply actions

nopt surprised

i knew who put those pictures on here without even checking lol

by steelersfan4life on Dec 14, 2009 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Hahaha, has my negativity been that transparent after the Browns game?

The Hell that Tomlin & the Steelers have unleashed on me this December is indescribable.

by John Stephens on Dec 14, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions

id say so

however I don’t blame you at all and you definitely are not alone

by steelersfan4life on Dec 14, 2009 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

Nah, you just like Kool Aid... LOL

I love being the most-hated guy here. I love beating them while [their fans] are flicking me off. --Hines Ward

by samliam on Dec 15, 2009 11:17 AM EST up reply actions

OH NOOOOO!!!!!

by StoneColdSteel on Dec 15, 2009 3:05 AM EST up reply actions

So if we're tied with Baltimore for the 6th seed?

Do we win?

by Freddyd on Dec 14, 2009 12:29 PM EST reply actions

if we both finish tied in record

NO, baltimore wins based on division record.

by SteelCityMafiaNewOrleans on Dec 14, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

The Hell that Tomlin & the Steelers have unleashed on me this December is indescribable.

by John Stephens on Dec 14, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

Its not that complicated, but I guess some of your are...

well nevermind…its very complicated. Most people are just demoralized by our own team’s play that they could care less about this stuff. I’m completely on the other end, why the fuck would you worry about making changes when there is an entire off season for that. Seriously, we will learn nothing about Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis by playing them other than they will get burned too.

Now then… (ALL SCENARIOS BASED ON PIT WINNING OUT, which is the most unlikely thing among these scenarios)

Its amazing to me that the average steeler fan who is looking into playoff scenarios for our wounded warriors, when given the following question, will fail to think critically…

In Week 15’s matchup featuring CIN @ SAN, are there any playoff implications regarding the Steelers? In either case, who would you root for?

the typical Steeler fan: "I hate the bengals. Go chargers! This game doesn’t affect us."

the critical thinker: we badly need CIN to win this game!

WHY??? So simple. If SAN wins, they will clinch the bye week #2 seed. CIN will no longer be in a position to earn a bye and will be locked in as a division winner w/ home playoff game, although not certain as a #3 or #4 seed. As you know from 2007 (Tomlin resting starters against Baltimore in week 17 when we had a division winner w/ home playoff game locked up, but technically did not have a particular seed locked up), CIN would be likely to rest starters and call off the dogs, ESPECIALLY IN WEEK 17 when they play the JETS.

As you know (or maybe I assume to much), we need the Jets to lose one game, but not necessarily two games. WHY???

If the Jets finish 9-7 and we finish 9-7, we win the tie breaker if the NYJ loss is vs CIN week 17. WHY?? this would count as an AFC loss for NYJ, and thus we would tie with them in AFC record. We would also tie them in common games record, and we would win the following tie breaker based on strength of victory.

If the Jets finish 9-7 and their loss is @IND or vs. ATL, then they win the tie breaker based on common games record or conference record, respectively.

Given that IND has clinched home field, they will lay down hard and rest starters probably week 16 and week 17. Week 15 (this thursday @ JAX) they will probably begin to lay down as well (ALTHOUGH WE ALL HOPE NOT)

this means the jets would have a very winnable game against IND back ups week 16.

SO THAT MEANS IF THE BENGALS HAVE SOMETHING TO PLAY FOR, THEY SHOULD BEAT THE JETS WEEK 17

Is that clear?

now, here’s where it gets interesting.

If the Jets finish 9-7 and MIA finishes 9-7 along with us at 9-7, WE WILL WIN THE TIE BREAKER BETWEEN ALL THREE REGARDLESS OF WHO THE JETS GET THEIR LOSS FROM, EVEN ATL. This is because MIA beat NYJ twice and that would knock NYJ out, thus leaving MIA and PIT to be compared, where we would of course win the head-head tiebreaker.

Bottom line is this

I pray for DEN to lose one game they shouldn’t lose (vs. KC or vs OAK), because they will definitely lose @ PHI, who is fighting for the NFC east crown. If we finish tied with DEN at 9-7, we of course win the tie breaker)

I pray for JAX to lose this thursday (if IND doesn’t lay down, i think it should happen) and @ NE week 16. If that happens, they’re OUT

I pray for BAL to lose this sun vs. CHI. (this could be the most nerve racking one of them all, i don’t think they’ll lose @ OAK, but you never know)

I pray for CIN to beat SAN this sun for the important reasons mentioned above

by SteelCityMafiaNewOrleans on Dec 14, 2009 12:41 PM EST reply actions

Gradowski's out for Oakland; dual MCL tears.

He’s probably gone for the season. I don’t think Oakland pulls out another win this year.

by SteelersVT on Dec 14, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions

I don't think I heard of a double MCL tear before

how does one accomplish that

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame
DIck Lebeau, Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel and Chris Carter

by WVPiratesfan on Dec 14, 2009 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

A fifth of Jack and a pitching wedge

"Now that I'm here, I don't want to just be here, I want to be here for a long time." Hines Ward, 1998 4th round draft pick.

by kick him in the head on Dec 14, 2009 9:34 PM EST up reply actions

all right then, that does not sound like fun

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame
DIck Lebeau, Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel and Chris Carter

by WVPiratesfan on Dec 15, 2009 10:39 AM EST up reply actions

Really?

I guess we should never go golfing together then.

'I’ve learned to become a flat-liner. There’s a lot out there that’ll make your heart jump if you allow it."
-Coach Tomlin

by NYSteelersFan4 on Dec 15, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions

Alcohol and Golf...

don’t mix; that’s why I don’t drink and drive. -Owl City.

by Dave in Cbus on Dec 15, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

how about

SD beats Cincy, and the Jets lose to Indy and ATL. and then beats cincy, and finish 8-8. That way I can have my cake and eat it too.

Steelers football is 60 mins.

by tannofsteel84 on Dec 14, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions

if that's not enough for you...

if MIA, NYJ, DEN, JAX, PIT all finish 9-7…

we win out!!!

compare teams in the same division FIRST. this eliminates NYJ (based on their 2 losses to MIA)

next compare any teams amongst the remaining group that played head-head games. ELIMINATE the team that is on the losing end of any head to head game.

THEREFORE, MIA defeated JAX. JAX would be OUT. PIT defeated DEN. DEN would be OUT. PIT defeated MIA. MIA would be out.

we would win out!

by SteelCityMafiaNewOrleans on Dec 14, 2009 12:42 PM EST reply actions

uhhhh, not exactly.

jacksonville gets the breaker over us if all those teams win out
as i said above:
the head-to-head in a multi team tie only counts if you beat all the teams involved with the tie. granted if there were 2 spots available and that situation happened, then we’d get the 6th seed.

by t1mmy10 on Dec 14, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions

basically the three most nerve-racking things to see unfold will be..

1. Steelers winning out.

2. Baltimore losing vs. CHI or @ OAK. With no Gradkowski (knee), don’t count on OAK’s help. this Sunday’s game CHI @ BAL will be so critical while we await our 4 pm showdown with GB.

3. teams like IND and CIN laying down and resting starters.

by SteelCityMafiaNewOrleans on Dec 14, 2009 12:45 PM EST reply actions