Pittsburgh Steelers NFL playoffs probability revealed entering Week 13

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances of reaching the playoffs heading into Week 13 of the season have been revealed. According to Ali Bhanpuri of NFL.com, the Steelers currently have a 38 percent chance of reaching the postseason.

That doesn’t seem great, but a win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday will help their chances. Bhanpuri said if Pittsburgh takes down the Bills, its playoff chances increase to 52 percent. However, a loss to Josh Allen and company would drop the Steelers to 29 percent.

“The Steelers’ loss to the Bears didn’t end up being as damaging to their playoff hopes as the model projected, with Pittsburgh’s postseason probability sitting at 38 percent, which, while still unsettling, is just 1 point lower than it was last Tuesday and 7 points higher than the model’s ‘If Lose” projection going into Week 12,” Bhanpuri wrote, “The Steelers hit Thanksgiving Week as the least likely of the 10 legitimate AFC contenders to clinch a playoff berth. But those odds could change drastically if they can beat the Bills this weekend. Like Pittsburgh, Buffalo has similarly been all over the map since October (figuratively, not literally).”

Can the Steelers win in the playoffs?

What has hurt the Steelers recently is their AFC North foes, the Baltimore Ravens, who are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. After starting the season 1-5, the Ravens have won the last five games and are tied with the Steelers for the division lead. Baltimore has the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh because it has a better division record.

The good news for the Steelers is that they will face the Ravens twice in their final six games. The first matchup will be on Sunday, Dec. 7, and the second matchup will be on Sunday, Jan. 4, which is also the final week of the season.

The last time the Steelers missed the playoffs was in 2022, when they finished the season with a 9-8 record. But even if Pittsburgh makes the postseason, the question is, can the team win a playoff game? The last time the Steelers earned a playoff victory was during the 2016 season when they reached the AFC Championship game. The last time the Steelers played in a Super Bowl was in 2010, and their last Super Bowl title came during the 2008 season.