Well Steelers fans, we've got the day off tomorrow after beating the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. I doubt all of you will take the day off alltogether from football, so let's take a look at some the games of interest in the AFC.
PHILADELPHIA (5-4-1) at BALTIMORE (6-4)
It's do-or-die for both of these teams in a way. Baltimore wouldn't necessarily be eliminated from anything of course if they were to lose, but they would fall 2 games back of Pittsburgh in the AFC North and would find themselves at the bottom end of a log jam of Wild Card contenders. Batlimore does sport a very solid 6-3 AFC record, so perhaps I shouldn't be so willing to write them off if they were to lose in this inter-conference matchup. GO EAGLES!
INDIANAPOLIS (6-4) at SAN DIEGO (4-6)
The Colts and the Chargers appear to be heading in opposite directions. The Colts have 3 in a row, looking better and better each week. The Chargers on the other hand sit two games below .500 (4-6) and two games behind Denver in the moribound AFC West. With the Broncos hosting Oakland, the Chargers absolutely have to have this one. If I'm correct in my assesment that the Colts are going to continue playing well and ascending the ranks in the AFC, it is very possible that the Steelers and Colts are fighting each other for home field advantage down the stretch. Because they hold the head-to-head against us, we'd need to clear their final record by at least a game to be seeded higher. GO CHARGERS!
NEW YORK JETS (7-3) at TENNESSEE (10-0)
We're getting into fairly unimportant speculation as it relates to the Steelers, but I suppose it'd be preferable for the Titans to keep the Jets 1 game behind the Steelers by extending their underappreciated winning streak to 11. Each week, people proclaim this is the week the other shoe drops for the Titans, but I'm not so sure it happens in this spot. We'll see. Two good teams squaring off. As good as the Jets have been, they're not home free whatsoever. Either the Dolphins or the Patriots will be 7-4 after tomorrow. Big stakes tomorrow for all the AFC East teams, including Buffalo who's on life support after 4 straight losses. GO _____? (I'll say Titans)
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Lots of football left to help sort things out. I think this particular Steelers team is going to just handle their business and secure a #2 seed without needing to look at scoreboards, but what the heck, never hurts to remind yourself to cheer against the Ravens. Judgment type game for them - an impressive home victory over the Eagles and you'd have to tip your cap to first year head coach John Harbaugh and the team. A loss to a clearly suspect Eagles team and Pittsburgh's squarely in the driver seat over the final five games.