The Steelers and Patriots don’t play until Sunday night (at 8:20 PM on NBC), so here’s a list of games on the Week 10 NFL schedule that might be worth checking out during the day on Sunday.
-New York Jets at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM on CBS. Not only are the Browns a divisional rival (is “rival” the right word? Maybe “ankle-biter” would be better), and not only could the play of the 6-2 Jets have playoff implications for the Steelers, but the Browns have already knocked off two good teams in the Saints and Patriots. This one could be a lot of fun.
-Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 PM on CBS. Again, this one could have playoff implications, since the Colts are 5-3, but only if the Bengals can actually pull out a win, and despite their comeback attempt against the Steelers last week, that seems unlikely.
And … well, that’s pretty much it. 5-3 Tennessee plays 4-4 Miami at 1:00, and Kansas City (5-3) plays Miami at 4:05. and given that the Ravens already lost, that’s pretty much it for the competitive AFC teams. There aren’t any obvious marquee matchups in the NFC, either.
The best thing for the Steelers this week would be for the AFC North to run the table for the rest of the week. With a win, the Steelers would move a game up on the Ravens, and wins by the Browns and Bengals would still keep those teams comfortably behind the Steelers while dealing losses to two teams that might come back to bite the Steelers in the Wild Card race if the Ravens end up winning the division.
For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.