A Week 12 win over the Bengals gave the Steelers some breathing room in the AFC wild-card race, but Pittsburgh couldn't find the same defensive success against the Cardinals on Sunday.
The Steelers allowed their highest point total since Week 4, falling behind 24-3 in a game that was twice delayed by lightning. Pittsburgh ultimately lost 24-10.
Even more troubling was the loss of Kenny Pickett, who exited in the first half with an ankle injury and didn't return. Mitchell Trubisky would lead a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, but it was far too late for the Steelers by that point.
MORE: Latest updates on Kenny Pickett's ankle injury
The Steelers entered Sunday having won five of their last seven games, giving themselves some cushion as they pursue a playoff spot, but their margin for error got slimmer with the loss.
Here's an updated look at the Steelers' playoff chances with five games remaining.
Steelers playoff picture
The Steelers (7-5) are part of a three-way tie for two AFC wild-card spots along with the Colts and Texans, pending the results of the Browns' late-afternoon matchup with the Rams. If Cleveland loses, four teams would all be 7-5 with only three spots available.
Because the Texans' conference record is worse than the Steelers, Colts and Browns, it's Houston who remains out of the playoff picture. The Texans hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Steelers, but because this tie involves more than two teams, Pittsburgh remains in.
The Steelers also remain ahead of the Colts, though a Week 15 matchup between the two contenders will decide the head-to-head tiebreaker entering the final stretch of the season.
If there is a silver lining from Sunday's loss for Pittsburgh, it wasn't a conference game and therefore doesn't impact the Steelers' conference record. That is especially meaningful when it comes to tiebreakers.
MORE: Updated look at Broncos' playoff chances
Here's a look at the current wild-card standings in the AFC.
| Team | Record |
| Browns | 7-4 |
| Steelers | 7-5 |
| Colts | 7-5 |
| Texans | 7-5 |
| Broncos | 6-6 |
| Bills | 6-6 |
Sporting News' model still has a favorable view of the Steelers' playoff chances, giving Pittsburgh a 57.2 percent chance of earning a spot with a projected record of 9-8. With a glut of teams in the mix, however, Mike Tomlin's group will have to work for it over the final five games.
| Team | xW-L | WC% | Playoff% |
| Browns | 10-7 | 63.5% | 70.4% |
| Texans | 10-7 | 62.6% | 69.6% |
| Steelers | 9-8 | 51.8% | 57.0% |
| Colts | 9-8 | 50.6% | 54.2% |
| Bills | 9-8 | 21.9% | 23.4% |
| Broncos | 8-9 | 11.8% | 11.9% |
| Chargers | 8-9 | 11.4% | 11.7% |
The Steelers' AFC North odds are far more distant, according to SN's model. Pittsburgh has just a 5.2 percent chance of winning the AFC North after Sunday's loss, with the Ravens (9-3) now holding a commanding lead over the Browns, Steelers and Bengals.
The Steelers do already have a win over the Ravens, however, and they face off again in Week 18.
| Team | xW-L | Div% | WC% | Playoff% | No. 1 seed% | AFC% | SB% |
| Ravens | 12-5 | 87.9% | 11.3% | 99.3% | 15.4% | 24.4% | 12.0% |
| Browns | 10-7 | 6.9% | 63.5% | 70.4% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 0.4% |
| Steelers | 9-8 | 5.2% | 51.8% | 57.0% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Bengals | 8-9 | 0.0% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
MORE: Updated 2024 NFL Draft order
Here's a look at the Steelers' schedule for the remainder of the season.
Steelers schedule 2023
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 7 | vs. Patriots | 8:15 p.m. |
| Dec. 16 | at Colts | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 23 | vs. Bengals | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | at Seahawks | 4:05 p.m. |
| Jan. 7 | at Ravens | TBD |
The Steelers face the 2-10 Patriots on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 14, so they have an instant opportunity to push Sunday's loss to the Cardinals out of their minds.
From that point, however, the road gets tougher. The Steelers do have a home matchup against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals in Week 16, but they have to go on the road and face the Colts, Seahawks and Ravens down the stretch. Matchups against the Colts and Bengals are both scheduled as Saturday games.
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