5 reasons Pittsburgh Steelers will still make the playoffs

Oct 16, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) attempts a pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-15. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 2, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) carries the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams (98) defends during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

4. The rest of the conference has questions

Even if the Steelers did let the division slip away from them, they would be right in the thick of a questionable wild card race. The AFC South seems highly unlikely to field a wild card team, with the 3-3 Titans and the 2-3 Jaguars. The only wild card contender from the AFC East looks to be the Buffalo Bills. However, the last three quarterbacks the Bills have beaten have been Jacoby Brissett, Colin Kaepernick and Case Keenum. Before that, they were losing to the Jets and were the mess of the league. The Steelers will see the Bills in December, and will likely have a healthy Roethlisberger. The Bills also have a meeting with the Patriots, and games at the Seahawks, Bengals, and Raiders.

Speaking of the Raiders, they seem to be one of three teams that can win the AFC West this year, leaving two more as contenders for the wild card. The Raiders still have three road division games left and two against the Broncos. Their defense may have as many questions as the Broncos offense has heading into Week 7. The Chiefs and Broncos still play two times this season, and the Steelers have a tiebreaker win over the Kansas City Chiefs already. The Steelers can easily be in the thick of this thing when Roethlisberger returns.

If the AFC West brings two of the three contenders to the playoffs, one spot is easily open for an AFC North contender. It would seem like the very worst case scenario to the see the Steelers in the six seed.

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