The Pittsburgh Steelers controlled their destiny, especially over the Baltimore Ravens, from the very beginning—until suddenly they didn’t. The entire AFC North other than the Steelers lost in Week 1, and for most of the season, they owned first place in the division. At no point had they ever owned a worse record than another division opponent—until Christmas evening. And it sucked.
That is when the Steelers dropped their third game in a row, and the Ravens won their third. That is when the Steelers relinquished control over their future. While they secured a playoff spot already, they are very unlikely to host a playoff game.