After the Baltimore Ravens’ brutally bad loss to San Diego, the AFC appears to have only one serious contender for the Super Bowl – the mighty New England Patriots. That is, unless the Pittsburgh Steelers can make a statement tonight by taking control of their destiny.
In the circle of playoff life, Pittsburgh hold the tiebreaker advantage over New England. But Baltimore holds the tiebreaker advantage over Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ challenge is to finish the season even with the Patriots and one-game better than the Ravens.
The Pats (11-3) close the season at home against the Dolphins and the Bills (10 combined wins). The Ravens (10-4) close with the Browns and at the Bengals (12 combined wins). The Steelers have a rough outing against the San Francisco 49ers (10-3) in tonight’s Monday Night Football game and then close with the Rams and at the Browns (6 combined wins).
A loss to the San Francisco 49ers crushes the first part of that formula for the Steelers.
Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) will play. The Steelers will need all the firepower of their passing game to go against the 49ers. San Francisco fields a middling’ pass defense measured in yards, but they have a high disruption factor measured by sacks (32), passes defended (83) and interceptions (18).
The Steelers have the top ranked pass defense in yards, but they are less disruptive than the ‘Niners (30 sacks, 53 passes defended, 10 interceptions). 49er linebacker Patrick Willis and receiver Braylon Edwards are OUT for the game.
With Willis out, the Steelers may vary their recent pass-first tendency to test the middle of the 49er’s top-ranked run defense on the ground. However they do it, underdog Pittsburgh must find a way to beat San Francisco to keep pace with New England and a step ahead of Baltimore so that all the tiebreakers fall their way.
