The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers will meet in Los Angeles on Sunday Night Football for an important conference matchup that will impact the NFL playoff picture. Live coverage begins tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET with Football Night in America. The match-up will also be available via live stream on Peacock.
Sunday night’s game between the Steelers and Chargers is crucial for both teams as they fight for the top spot in their respective divisions, the AFC North and AFC West. Let’s take a closer look at the playoff race in each division and the implications on the conference as a whole.
AFC North playoff race:
The Baltimore Ravens (6-3), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3), Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) and Cleveland Browns (5-5) have been jockeying back and forth for the top spot in the division since the start of the 2021 season.
Injuries to the Steelers:
In Week 11, a shorthanded Steelers team tied the winless Detroit Lions, 16-16, in what turned out to be Detroit’s first non-loss of the season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the game and did not play. In Roethlisberger’s absence, backup Mason Rudolph got the start under center. A third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Rudolph turned in a solid performance against the Lions, completing 30 of 50 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It wasn’t enough to win though as the Lions snapped the Steelers’ four-game winning streak, causing Pittsburgh to fall to second place in the AFC North.
Star wide receiver Chase Claypool also missed the Week 10 contest due to a toe injury and the defense suffered a major blow when a hip and knee injury to Pro Bowler T.J. Watt caused him to leave the game early. Earlier this week, the defense took another hit when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tested positive for COVID-19. It it still unclear if he will be able to play in Sunday night’s matchup.
In his media availability this week, head coach Mike Tomlin said that Roethlisberger has the opportunity to start on Sunday night as long as he is able to provide the required negative tests. Claypool is expected to practice this week and Watt’s status remains uncertain.
Playoff picture around the AFC North:
The first-place Ravens lost in shocking fashion to the 3-7 Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 but managed to hold on to the top spot due to losses by their AFC North counterparts. Throughout Weeks 12-14, Baltimore will play three division opponents: the Browns, Steelers and Browns again before facing the Bengals in Week 16 – a team that defeated them convincingly earlier this season – and the Steelers once more in Week 18. These weekly tests will impact the NFL playoff picture as each team vies for the top spot in the division. And in Week 11, the Ravens will be without QB Lamar Jackson – the 24-year-old was ruled out with non-COVID illness shortly before the start of the game.
The Bengals remain just one game back in the standings after having a bye last week. The off week provided Cincinnati with the opportunity for a much-needed reset as the team dropped its Week 8 contest to the New York Jets, 34-31, and its Week 9 game to the Browns, 41-16. Due to poor performances by the other teams in their division, the Bengals remain in playoff contention and will look to get back on the winning track when they play the struggling Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11.
Baker Mayfield and the Browns dropped to the last spot in the division following a 45-7 rout by the New England Patriots in Week 10. They remain on the bubble in the ever-changing AFC playoff race but need to take advantage of a rebound game against the Lions on their home turf.
AFC West playoff race:
The postseason race in the AFC West is just as competitive. The Kansas City Chiefs have the top spot in the division with a 6-4 record while the Chargers and Raiders are tied for the second spot at 5-4. The Denver Broncos round out the division with a 5-5 mark.
The Chargers’ dwindling momentum:
The Chargers enter Sunday night’s contest having lost three of their past four games after posting a 4-1 start to the season. Entering Week 10, the Chargers managed to lead the division by virtue of wins over the Chiefs and Raiders earlier in the season. Los Angeles is seeded seventh in the AFC playoff race and has the worst point differential of the top seven teams.
After winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020, quarterback Justin Herbert has slowed down this season, but continues to come into his own as a signal-caller under new head coach Brandon Staley. Herbert is tied for fifth in the league with 19 touchdowns and sixth in total yards through 10 weeks.
Los Angeles will also be without some of its major playmakers on the defensive side of the ball in Sunday’s matchup as linemen Joey Bosa and Jerry Tillery entered the league’s reserve/COVID-19 protocol on Tuesday. Bosa is tied for the league lead in strip-sacks with three. He has a sack in three of the past four games, including the last two, and will be missed by the Chargers’ edge rushing unit.
Playoff picture around the AFC West:
With a win over the Raiders last week on Sunday Night Football, the Chiefs found themselves back where they were always expected to be upon entering this season: first place in the division. After a 41-14 win over Derek Carr and the Raiders, the Chiefs secured their third straight victory. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns while tight end Travis Kelce had one of his best games of the season with eight receptions and a team-leading 119 yards.
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The Raiders, however, continue to look lost on the football field as their Week 10 loss to the Chiefs marked their second straight dropped contest after being upset by the New York Giants two weeks ago. In wide receiver DeSean Jackson‘s first game as a Raider, he made one impressive, yet head-scratching catch for a 40-yard gain only to have the ball punched out by the Chiefs’ Rashad Fenton and picked up by Tyrann Mathieu for a turnover that all but extinguished the Raiders’ momentum.
The Broncos fell to fourth place in the division following a 30-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week. With a bye week this week, Denver will have ample preparation time for a key matchup against the Chargers in Week 12.
Where do things stand in the NFC?
In Aaron Rodgers‘ return to the roster, the Green Bay Packers shut out the Seattle Seahawks, 17-0, in a snowy game in Green Bay to move into the top spot in the NFC. The Packers have the tiebreaker against Arizona because they defeated the Cardinals earlier in the season.
The Cardinals fell to the No. 2 seed in the conference after being upset by the Carolina Panthers in Week 10. Arizona was without quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins – both of whom were severely missed. Murray has sat out the past two games with an ankle injury and Hopkins has not played since Week 8 due to a nagging hamstring issue.
Dallas, the No. 3 seed in the conference, bounced back from a surprising loss to the Broncos in Week 9 with a 43-3 rout of the Atlanta Falcons last week.
While the Cowboys suffered from the wrong side of an upset in Week 9, it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were surprisingly defeated by the 3-6 Washington Football Team this past week. Tom Brady threw an uncharacteristic two interceptions in the first half alone, which Washington turned into 10 points en route to a 29-19 victory.
The Los Angeles Rams remain in the hunt with the No. 5 spot in the AFC, but they suffered a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers this past Monday night – their second straight loss.
RELATED: NFL schedule 2021: Dates, times, TV, how to watch, channels for every game in all 18 weeks
Current 2021 NFL Playoff picture
AFC Standings
Tennessee Titans (8-2)
Buffalo Bills (6-3)
Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
New England Patriots (7-4)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-4)
On the bubble:
Las Vegas Raiders (5-4)
Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
Cleveland Browns (5-5)
Denver Broncos (5-5)
NFC Standings
Green Bay Packers (8-2)
Arizona Cardinals (8-2)
Dallas Cowboys (7-2)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
Los Angeles Rams (7-2)
New Orleans Saints (5-4)
Carolina Panthers (5-5)
On the bubble:
Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
San Francisco 49ers (4-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-6)
Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
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