The AFC North remains up for grabs—and John Harbaugh's squad is heading to the playoffs for a third straight year.
Behind three passing touchdowns from star quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens clinched a playoff berth Saturday with a resounding 34–17 win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.
Had they lost, the Steelers would have clinched the AFC North. But now, both teams are tied for first place with a 10-5 record. They both have the same divisional record (3-2) as well, but Pittsburgh holds the edge in the next tiebreaker—winning percentage against common opponents.
If the Steelers and Ravens both win their final two games, Pittsburgh would win the division and earn a top-four seed in the AFC based on the tiebreaker. But it won't be an easy task, as the Steelers host the 14–1 Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. Baltimore, meanwhile, visits the Houston Texans on Christmas and hosts the Cleveland Browns to close out the year.
Now that the Ravens are officially in, the AFC only has two wild-card spots up for grabs. Entering Sunday's slate of games, the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) and Denver Broncos (9-6) hold those positions with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Bengals holding on for dear life on their postseason dreams.
Following the Ravens' win Saturday evening, here's how the NFL playoff picture looks heading into Sunday (Note: teams with clinched playoff berths are in bold, and all playoff odds are provided by NFL.com):
AFC Playoff Picture
NFC Playoff Picture
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Ravens' Win Over Steelers in Week 16 Impacts NFL Playoff Picture.
