As the 2024 NFL regular season approaches its conclusion, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens remain in pursuit of an AFC North title. With Baltimore’s Week 16 win over Pittsburgh, what does that mean for both teams? Let’s examine what each team must do in order to clinch the division.
AFC North Playoff Scenarios | Week 16 Update
Entering Week 16, Pittsburgh had the best path to winning the division: beat the Ravens head-to-head on Satuday and clinch the AFC North title. A Steelers win would also have prevented Baltimore from clinching a Wild Card berth, barring a loss from the Indianapolis Colts or Miami Dolphins.
However, since Baltimore won the Saturday contest, the Ravens have clinched a playoff spot and the Steelers are no longer in the running for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Now, Baltimore and Pittsburgh are both 10-5. Still, the Steelers remain atop the AFC North since they have a better record against common opponents than the Ravens.
The AFC North title will come down to the final two weeks of the season. If both teams go 2-0 or 0-2 to finish the season, the Steelers will clinch the division. If either team wins more games in that span (2-0 to 1-1 or 1-1 to 0-2), it will take first place.
Things get a bit more complicated if both teams finish 1-1, but there’s only one scenario in which the Ravens could win the division: If Baltimore beats the Cleveland Browns and the Steelers lose to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18, Baltimore will win the AFC North based on its divisional record.
The Ravens’ win over the Steelers in Week 16 was huge, as it not only punched their ticket to the postseason but kept their division title hopes alive.
Head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture and the current NFL postseason bracket.
