Steelers loss to Cleveland proves there's only one threat to Chiefs in the AFC

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered Week 13 as the No. 3 team in the AFC standing and will remain in third place after losing to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football. However, this leaves a chance for other AFC playoff contenders to move up.

The Buffalo Bills, Steelers, and even the Baltimore Ravens have been considered the biggest threats to the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Now that the Steelers lost to the Browns, however, only the Bills should be considered a true threat to the Chiefs in the playoff race.

Even with Patrick Mahomes not playing like his regular self, the Chiefs are still seen as the biggest threat in the NFL. They have the best record at 9-1 despite losing to Buffalo just last week. Buffalo has gained ground but, in the meantime, the Steelers have now lost some after forcing the Ravens to do the same with a win over Baltimore in Week 11.

Ahead of their Thursday night game against the Browns, the Steelers were on a five-game winning streak and seemed to be elevating themselves to the upper echelon of the AFC and, thus, the NFL. That no longer appears to be the case.

Steelers TNF loss make Bills the only real threat to Chiefs in the AFC

If the Ravens beat the Chargers on Monday, the Steelers will stay half a game ahead, but the loss to the Browns was a missed opportunity in a winnable game. The game started slow for Pittsburgh but things started to pick up in the fourth quarter. Despite insane snowy conditions, the Browns came out on top, 24-19.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin faced criticism for poor game management decisions that likely contributed to the loss. This included a controversial choice to accept a penalty, forcing the Browns into a third-and-5 instead of a fourth-and-2. Additionally, his mishandling of the clock allowed the Browns to drain 40 seconds during their final possession, which ultimately ended in the game-winning score.

The Steelers still have a strong hold on a playoff spot but have four divisional games remaining as well as matchups against the Chiefs themselves and the Philadelphia Eagles. They have to do better in terms of execution and time management if they want to win the division. Until that happens, though, the Bills will stand alone as the best chance in the AFC to dethrone Kansas City.