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A missed field goal and a slew of bad losses away from playing in this game.
The Steelers know it, and their fans know it. Regardless, the San Diego Chargers were the team that won nine games in 2013, not the Steelers, so to the couches they go, along with the rest of us.
The Bengals, though, are the real storyline here. A franchise that hasn't won a game for the entire lifetimes of many actively involved NFL fans, they'll get their third consecutive shot at that elusive wild car round win in a game they're highly favored (seven points) to win. It's the biggest spread of the weekend, and it'll be hard to fathom exactly what the reason will be if the Bengals again go one-and-out in the playoffs.
This is also the most bitter playoff game of the weekend for Steelers fans, but we're all in it together. Join in the misery, let us know what you're seeing in the game and think about the glory of next season, when the Steelers may again not be playing in this game, but this time, because they earned a first-round bye.