clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Steelers Fan Rooting Guide: Who to cheer for in other games in Week 11

Steelers fans know who to root against week in and week out. They usually know to root against Baltimore, Cleveland and New England. But sometimes, you have to look at the bigger picture—the playoff picture. Here are potential teams to put on your foam finger for.

By Bryan Anthony Davis
/ new
Cincinnati Bengals v Oakland Raiders Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images

Each game that the Steelers take the field, it’s about their taking care of business with a win. That doesn’t always occur, but with the goal always being the playoffs... the other games become about seeding and matchups. With the Steelers needing to control their fate against the Chargers, other contests still matter to Steelers Nation and we assume the Steelers will start winning again for the sake of this exercise. Here’s a guide to other significant matchups, and whose losses the Steelers would benefit from more.

If the season ended today, the Steelers would be the sixth seed in the AFC.

Here are the current AFC playoff picture going into Week 11

  1. Tennessee Titans 7-2 (Last Week: No. 1) Would win the AFC South and have a First Round Bye
  2. Buffalo Bills 6-3 (Last Week: No. 4) Would win the AFC East and host the Los Angeles Chargers
  3. Baltimore Ravens 6-3 (Last Week: No. 2) Would win the AFC North and host the Pittsburgh Steelers
  4. Kansas City Chiefs 5-4 (Last Week: No. 8) Would win the AFC West and host the New England Patriots
  5. New England Patriots 7-4 (Last Week: No. 7) Would be Wildcard No. 1 and visit Kansas City Chiefs
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-3-1 (Last Week: No. 6) Would be Wildcard No. 2 and visit the Baltimore Ravens
  7. Los Angeles Chargers 5-4 (Last Week: No. 3) Would be Wildcard No. 3 and visit the Buffalo Bills
  8. Las Vegas Raiders 5-4 (Last Week: No. 5)
  9. Cincinnati Bengals 5-4 (Last Week: No. 10)
  10. Indianapolis Colts 5-5 (Last Week: No. 12)
  11. Cleveland Browns 5-5 (Last Week: No. 9)
  12. Denver Broncos 5-5 (Last Week: No. 11)
  13. Miami Dolphins 3-7 (Last Week: No. 16)
  14. New York Jets 2-7 (Last Week: No. 13)
  15. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-7 (Last Week: No. 14)
  16. Houston Texans 1-8 (Last Week: No. 15)

Week 11

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills - Sunday 1 PM (CBS)

This is definitely a tough one for the Rooting Guide. Indy is catching fire and muddling up the mix in the AFC, while the Steelers have a head-to-head advantage over the Bills. With the Pats surging, the Bills are no longer a lock to win the division. I’m thinking the Colts need to prevail this week, even though we may regret it later.

Who to root for: Indianapolis Colts

Baltimore Ravens at Chicago Bears - Sunday 1 PM (CBS)

The Steelers got a huge help with the Dolphins’ defeat of the Ratbirds last Thursday, but they only took advantage of half of it by suffering the tie with Detroit. So the Ravens need to go down again, but they’re playing the Bears. So..........

Who to root for: Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns - Sunday 1 PM (FOX)

Cleveland is on the verge of completely breaking down. They have a chance to rebound, but maybe the Lions can build off of the tie last week and pounce on the Browns to take them down for good.

Who to root for: Detroit Lions

San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars - Sunday 1 PM (FOX)

This game is of very little significance for the Steelers, but Urban Meyer is kind of annoying and it’s an AFC team.

Who to root for: San Francisco 49ers

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets - Sunday 1 PM (CBS)

The Dolphins are possibly starting to get their fish together and the Jets are back to being a mess. I don’t expect Miami to move into the playoff picture, but they are more capable of making waves than the Jets.

Who to root for: New York Jets

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans - Sunday 1 PM (CBS)

The Tennessee Titans are the top seed and the team to beat. The Steelers need to see them go down.

Who to root for: Houston Texans

Cincinnati Bengals at Las Vegas Raiders - Sunday 4:05 PM (CBS)

The Vegas Raiders seem to be going down the drain, so their winning might not be a big deal. The Bengals are the team that the Steelers play next and the Steelers could use them losing.

Who to root for: Las Vegas Raiders

Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs - Sunday 4:25 PM (FOX)

The Chiefs are finally close to becoming the best version of themselves, that’s not good for anybody else in the rest of the AFC. Dallas might just be strong enough to keep KC from rising to the top.

Who to root for: Dallas Cowboys

Who do you like in these games for yinzer’s sake? Let us know in the comment section in this article or on BTSC social media. In the meantime, grab that Terrible Towel and start rooting.

If you want more explanation to these picks check out the new Rooting Guide podcast below:

More From Behind the Steel Curtain

Loading comments...