NFL Week 14 picks: Why we like Browns, Bengals and Eagles
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his best bets for Week 14 games. He explains why he likes Browns, Bengals and Eagles.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were in control of the AFC North early in the 2025 NFL season after posting a 4-1 record over their first five games.
But after a midseason cold stretch, the Steelers found themselves engaged in a tough battle with the Baltimore Ravens atop the division. They entered Week 14 tied atop the AFC North standings, making their first head-to-head matchup Sunday a critical barometer for the season’s stretch run.
The Steelers earned a win, as Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf delivered one of their best performances of the season in a 27-22 victory. That will put Pittsburgh atop the division standings and give them the inside track to a playoff berth.
What are the Steelers’ playoff chances after their victory? Here’s a look at the AFC North standings as Pittsburgh prepares for a critical, four-week sprint to the end of the 2025 NFL season
Steelers playoff odds
The Steelers entered their Week 14 matchup against the Ravens with a 32% chance to make the playoffs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Their chances have now ballooned to an estimated 66% chance of making the playoffs.
That swing highlights the importance of the Week 14 battle between the Steelers and Ravens. Pittsburgh earned a critical advantage and the inside track to the division title, while Baltimore will now have work to do over the season’s final month despite still being neck-and-neck with its top rival.
Steelers remaining schedule
The Steelers have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, per Tankathon. They have just one remaining matchup against a team with a winning record entering Week 14, the Detroit Lions.
That said, Pittsburgh still has two divisional games remaining on its schedule, including its Week 18 matchups against the Ravens.
Below is a full look at the Steelers’ remaining schedule for the 2025 NFL season:
- Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
- Week 16: at Detroit Lions
- Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
- Week 18: vs. Baltimore Ravens
AFC North standings
The Steelers were tied with the Ravens atop the AFC North standings entering Week 14. They will now be alone in first place entering Week 15.
Below is a look at the AFC North’s power structure:
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Cleveland Browns (3-9)
The Steelers not only own a game advantage over the Ravens in the divisional standings, but they also have a tiebreaker advantage over them by virtue of their head-to-head tiebreaker.
Of course, Baltimore will have a chance to render that tiebreaker null if it can beat Pittsburgh when the two teams face off in Week 18. That said, if the Steelers can gain an extra game on the Ravens in the standings in the three weeks before that contest, Pittsburgh will be able to clinch the division.
That, plus Pittsburgh’s comparatively easy strength of schedule, gives the Steelers a clear advantage in the season’s final four weeks.
AFC playoff picture
- New England Patriots (11-2; AFC East leaders)
- Denver Broncos (10-2; AFC West leaders)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, AFC South leaders)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6; AFC North leaders)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4, wild card No. 1)
- Los Angeles Chargers (8-4, wild card No. 2)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-5; wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Houston Texans (7-5); Kansas City Chiefs (6-6); Baltimore Ravens (6-7); Miami Dolphins (6-7); Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
Eliminated: New York Jets (3-10); Cleveland Browns (3-10); Las Vegas Raiders (2-10); Tennessee Titans (2-11)
