The final four weeks of the 2012 NFL season are upon us, and the division of greatest interest to the Pittsburgh Armchair Quarterback is the AFC North. Conventional wisdom and the talking heads tell us that the division title will most likely be won by the Baltimore Ravens, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals scratching and clawing for a wildcard birth. The hell with that.
For the Black and Gold, getting into the playoffs will be decided in the game against the Bengals on the the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, in Pittsburgh, on December 23rd. Karma aside, If the Steelers win that game and two of the three others, the Steelers are in. That's going to be a war, one that we might wish Franco's Italian Army was here to wage, but a winnable war nonetheless. If we lose that battle, the road to the playoffs is going to be much tougher and requiring a little help from our 'friends'. In other words, I don't think we would be controlling our destiny at that point.
Wait. Give yourself a cold hard slap to the face. That's loser talk, and we're not willing to concede the division. What about winning the thing outright? That my friends is a distinct possibility. The Ravens' remaining schedule is a beast, to say the least. They've got the Redskins, Broncos, Giants and Bengals. Given the strength of that schedule, It is certainly conceivable that they could lose three of those four. In contrast, if the Steelers win their remaining games, they clinch the division. Pure and simple.
The Ravens losing Terrell Suggs for a couple of games could be real tough for Baltimore to overcome. This is especially true since they are facing a red hot RG III next Sunday in Landover, MD and the Manning brothers in back-to-back games, all before wrapping things up against Cincinnati in the season finale.
The Steelers just need to get healthy and stay focused (especially Mike Wallace).
They do that, and they will win the AFC North.
For the Black and Gold, getting into the playoffs will be decided in the game against the Bengals on the the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, in Pittsburgh, on December 23rd. Karma aside, If the Steelers win that game and two of the three others, the Steelers are in. That's going to be a war, one that we might wish Franco's Italian Army was here to wage, but a winnable war nonetheless. If we lose that battle, the road to the playoffs is going to be much tougher and requiring a little help from our 'friends'. In other words, I don't think we would be controlling our destiny at that point.
Wait. Give yourself a cold hard slap to the face. That's loser talk, and we're not willing to concede the division. What about winning the thing outright? That my friends is a distinct possibility. The Ravens' remaining schedule is a beast, to say the least. They've got the Redskins, Broncos, Giants and Bengals. Given the strength of that schedule, It is certainly conceivable that they could lose three of those four. In contrast, if the Steelers win their remaining games, they clinch the division. Pure and simple.
The Ravens losing Terrell Suggs for a couple of games could be real tough for Baltimore to overcome. This is especially true since they are facing a red hot RG III next Sunday in Landover, MD and the Manning brothers in back-to-back games, all before wrapping things up against Cincinnati in the season finale.
The Steelers just need to get healthy and stay focused (especially Mike Wallace).
They do that, and they will win the AFC North.
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