How will the Steelers’ playoff fate play out in Week 17?

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a very precarious situation entering Week 17 of the regular season. No longer controllers of their own destiny, the Steelers need help, and not just any help, but help from the Cleveland Browns.

While most fans will immediately roll their eyes and realize the Browns will find a way to be the Browns and lose to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, will this up-and-coming team find a way to defy the odds and help out their division rivals?

Many are solely focused on the Ravens and Browns game at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday, but let’s not forget the Steelers have a game to play on Sunday. Sure, the Cincinnati Bengals are a decimated group from top to bottom, but we’ve seen this song and dance from the Mike Tomlin led squad before.

On paper, the Steelers should dominate this game from start to finish, but it won’t be a cake walk — nothing in the NFL, or with the Steelers, ever is.

But let’s be honest, the biggest story in this scenario resides in the Free State of Maryland. Can the upstart Browns pull off a tremendous upset, and help the Steelers along the way?

We talked about this at length in our latest Podcast, which can be heard below, but when posing the question of how things will play out in Baltimore, I couldn’t think of a better team to potentially knock the Ravens off their perch than the Browns.

The Browns are a young team, and will want nothing more than to end the season on a high note by beating the Ravens and keeping them out of the playoffs. If there is a defensive mind I would want approaching this Lamar Jackson offense, it would likely be Greg Williams. If the Ravens win, I doubt it will be by running the football. Williams will sell out to stop the run, and you know he will do so by any means necessary.

I am honestly not concerned with the Browns’ defense going against the Ravens’ offense, the question is will Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry and company be able to beat the stout Ravens’ defense? This will be where the game is won and lost.

So, how will the Steelers’ playoff fate end?

Will it be a Steelers win, and a Ravens win? Ending Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes?

Will the Steelers beat the Bengals, and the Browns give them the victory necessary to punch their postseason ticket?

Or will the Steelers somehow lose to the Bengals, making the Ravens’ ticket to the playoffs an easy one?

Vote in the poll below, be sure to comment in the comment section and check out the podcast where the scenarios are discussed and predictions are given!