Coming off a Christmas Day loss to the Chiefs, the Steelers are expecting a couple of players back for Saturday’s matchup with the Bengals.
Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters in his Monday press conference that the team is “moving in the right direction” when it comes to getting players healthy.
“This week, it looks like Joey Porter is scheduled to make it back, along with Ben Skowronek,” Tomlin said. “And so getting a healthy outfit, particularly as you get toward the end of this season and lean in on a single elimination tournament is big business for us. We’re excited about the issues of dividing the labor up and having, really, a full stable at our disposal in the effort to formulate plans and make plays.
“It’s going to be needed, quite honestly, because Cincinnati is red hot.”
Porter was sidelined by a knee injury for the matchup with Kansas City. Skowronek was dealing with a hip injury.
Playing on Saturday, Pittsburgh’s first injury report of the week is due out on Tuesday.
Next Sunday night’s game between the Lions and Vikings may be the most consequential game on the Week 18 schedule, but it is far from the only one that will impact the playoff picture.
Saturday’s games will determine who wins the AFC North as well as whether the Bengals will have any chance of advancing to the postseason. If they beat the Steelers, they will be alive on Sunday and the Ravens will be the division champions. The Ravens will also take the crown by beating the Browns while a Steelers win and a Ravens loss will make Pittsburgh the AFC North champions.
The winner of the AFC North will be the third seed in the AFC. The Chiefs are No. 1, the Bills are No. 2 and the Texans are No. 4.
If the Bengals win, they’ll need the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs and the Dolphins to lose to the Jets in order to advance. A Broncos win makes them a wild card team while the Dolphins get the spot with a win and a Denver loss.
Atlanta’s loss on Sunday night means the Bucs will win the NFC South by beating the Saints. The Falcons will get the title with a win and a Bucs loss while losses by both teams will mean Tampa advances.
The Lions and Vikings will close out the regular season in Detroit on Sunday night. Both teams are in the playoffs, but the winner will be the NFC North champs and the No. 1 seed in the NFC while the loser will be on the road in the first round as the fifth seed.
Elsewhere in the NFC, the Eagles are guaranteed the No. 2 seed, but either the Rams or the NFC South champ could wind up as the No. 3 seed. The Packers and Commanders will also sort out who finishes sixth and seventh, so there are plenty of meaningful games to be played in Week 18.
Saturday will be for the AFC North in Week 18.
The NFL has placed the two divisional matchups between the Browns and Ravens along with the Bengals and Steelers on Saturday for the last weekend of the season.
The Browns and Ravens will lead things off on ESPN and ABC at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Bengals and Steelers will follow at 8 p.m. ET on the same networks.
Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh have already clinched a playoff spot at 11-5 and 10-6, respectively, but the division is still up for grabs.
If the Ravens defeat the Browns, then they’ll win the AFC North. Though Baltimore lost to Cleveland earlier in the season, the Browns have struggled mightily on offense since Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over at quarterback.
The Bengals will be particularly motivated to win on Saturday night because they’re still alive to be the AFC’s No. 7 seed. But even if they win, they’ll need both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose on Sunday in order to make the postseason. If Pittsburgh wins, Cincinnati will be eliminated from postseason contention.
Denver will play at Kansas City and Miami will visit the Jets in Week 18. Kickoff for both games will be at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
After playing three games in 11 days, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will play zero in 25.
It’s very likely, we’re told, that the Chiefs will rest key starters in a Week 18 game at Denver. Others have reported that the Chiefs are “expected” to sit Mahomes and others.
Look for an official announcement to come early in the week from coach Andy Reid.
It’s very good news for the Broncos, who need to win next Sunday to make it to the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50. It’s very bad news for the Bengals, Colts, and Dolphins, whose postseason hopes hinge on Denver losing again.
It ultimately could end up being bad news for the Chiefs, if the Broncos make it as the No. 7 seed, upset the Bills, and roll into Arrowhead Stadium with momentum against a Chiefs team that might be caught flatfooted after having nearly a month off.
Earlier this year, the Broncos were a field goal away from beating the Chiefs at home. The kick was blocked, sealing the Kansas City win.
The Chiefs have a dilemma.
They can try to knock the Broncos out of the playoffs next weekend with a win in Denver, or they can do what they typically do when the last game of the regular season means nothing to their playoff fortunes — rest the starting quarterback and other key starters.
That’s how Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made his debut, seven years ago. The Week 17 Chiefs-Broncos game meant nothing, so Alex Smith sat and Mahomes played.
Generally speaking, no team should want to see a division rival rolling into town for a one-game, winner-take-all playoff showdown. Division rivals know their opponents well. They don’t get as intimidated as other teams might. And they’d love nothing more than to derail a special season.
The Broncos need simply to win on Sunday to get in. A loss to the Chiefs likely means Denver’s streak of no playoff appearances since winning Super Bowl 50 will extend to nine.
There’s another reason for the Chiefs to consider playing Mahomes and other key starters, if only for a quarter. With the bye secured and the extra rest from playing on Wednesday, it’ll be 25 days between games for Mahomes, Travis Kelce, etc.
What if the Broncos win on Sunday, upend the Bills in the wild-card round (which isn’t a crazy proposition) and then roll into Arrowhead in the divisional round, having played three high-stakes games since the last time Mahomes played?
Once before, the Chiefs rested Mahomes in the last game of the regular season while holding a first-round bye. And when Kansas City hosted Cleveland in the divisional round, the game was closer than expected. Would it have been without three weeks off between games for Mahomes and others?
There’s one last point. Knocking the Broncos out could open the door for the Bengals. And the Bengals have gone toe-to-toe with the Chiefs in the postseason, beating them in the 2021 AFC Championship and almost beating them in the 2022 AFC Championship.
But there’s no guarantee that the Bengals get in with a Broncos loss. They still need the Colts or Dolphins to lose at least once, and the Colts close with the Giants and Jaguars. Thus, it’s possible that both the Broncos and Bengals could be knocked out.
Which would be good for the Chiefs. And for everyone else in the 2024 playoff field.
