I'm thankful for the Steelers playoff position as they head into their Week 17 match-up vs. the Browns

Two weeks ago, after the Steelers very depressing loss at Heinz Field, famed comedian, Boston native and Patriots fan Bill Burr appeared on the Mark Madden Show to say that he thought the Jesse James play was, in-fact, a touchdown—for what that's worth.

Anyway, after about five minutes of yukking it up on the radio, Burr told Madden in reference to that controversial play: "Hey, go cry in your back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships."

In other words, we don't exactly have it that bad.

As I sit here today, wondering if the Steelers will find a way to capture the AFC's top seed, or if they will have to "settle" for the the No. 2 seed, my perspective is that the Steelers are in a very promising spot.

Can you imagine being a Bills' fan right now? You think the Steelers were screwed by the NFL's definition of a catch; after Kelvin Benjamin's touchdown catch was overturned in the waning second's of the first half of the Bills' game in New England last week, Buffalo not only lost out on perhaps its best chance to pull off the upset, it may have seen its playoff chances slip away for good. Buffalo now needs a win in Week 17 and a Ravens' loss to get in. And if that combination doesn't happen, the Bills will need a win and losses by both the Titans and Chargers.

Not a great position to be in. (The Bills haven't been to the postseason since 1999, by the way.)

As for Baltimore and Tennessee, sure, they control their own fates, but, I'll bet if you're a passionate fan of either team, you didn't get your usual rem sleep, Saturday night.

The Falcons face a scenario similar to the Ravens and Titans—win and they're in—but they have to beat an 11-4 Panthers squad that still has an outside shot at both the NFC South title and a No. 2 seed.

Speaking of the NFC, according to CBSSports.com, seeds two-six are still undecided.

The Saints could be the No. 3 seed, but they could also fall to No. 5.

The Panthers could be the top wild-card team, but, again, they could also climb as high as the No. 2 seed and earn the much-coveted bye. As I alluded to earlier, this doesn't necessarily bode will for the defending NFC Champion Falcons; and, with Super Bowl hangovers being what they are, wouldn't losing out on a wild-card spot be a fitting ending to the 2017 season, after coming oh so close to winning it all in 2016?

And what about the Eagles, the NFC's top seed heading into the playoffs?

True, Philadelphia has that coveted prize, but it won't have its quarterback—Carson Wentz—who will miss the playoffs after tearing his ACL.

Speaking of the teams jockeying for the No. 3 seed in the NFC, shouldn't they really be going after the No. 4?

Yes, it would mean having to play the top NFC wild-card team, but if the chalk holds in the first round, you go to play the No. 1 seed without its franchise quarterback.

After fretting over tiebreakers in recent years and wondering if the Steelers would get any of that all-important "help" (thank you very little, Ryan Succop; thank you very much, Rex Ryan), let some other fan bases around the NFL squirm and pray to the football gods.

This time of year is simply my favorite as a sports fan.

It's even more enjoyable when the Steelers are heading into the postseason on a bye.