The Steelers clinched their 18th consecutive non-losing season with their 26-14 win Monday night against the Browns, a mark that is twice as long as that of the next-closest team.
The next-step goal for the team might be a little more difficult to achieve -- making the playoffs.
With their win, the Steelers (8-7-1) stayed alive mathematically in the AFC playoff race. And their path to the postseason doesn't require use of an abacus. If they win next Sunday in Baltimore against the Ravens (8-8), they would only need the Colts (9-7) to lose their regular season finale to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
The fly in the ointment? The Colts play the Jaguars (2-14) in Jacksonville. Indianapolis is a 15-point favorite in the game.
The Jaguars have bounced the Steelers from the playoffs twice in Mike Tomlin's 15-year tenure, beating them in 2007, and again in 2017. Can they do the same to the Colts?
"I’m capable of talking myself into anything," Tomlin said Tuesday. "I get singularly focused on purple. On the Baltimore Ravens. And that will be my focus all week. And that will be my sentiment that I relay to our football team. And I expect them to follow."
It's all the Steelers can do. They put themselves in this position both for the good and bad of it.
The good is that once again, Ben Roethlisberger will head into what will be the final regular-season game of his storied career with a chance to get into the playoffs. The Steelers have only played two completely meaningless games -- ones in which they've been eliminated from playoff contention -- in Roethlisberger's 18-year career.
This is certainly not that. But because they didn't win enough this season, they find themselves in a situation of needing help to get into the postseason. Some have pointed to a tie against the lowly Lions as a reason the Steelers won't get in. But even if they had won that game -- one in which Mason Rudolph got a spot start with Roethlisberger placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List the day before -- they would still need a win Sunday and a loss by the Chargers or Colts to get into the postseason.
The tie didn't drastically change their season.
But failing to hold a late lead the following week against the Chargers in Los Angeles in a 41-37 loss did. Win that game, against a conference opponent, and the Steelers would simply need a win Sunday to get in at 10-6-1.
Stranger things, however, have happened.
In the storied 1989 season, the Steelers lost their first two games by a combined score of 92-10 to the Browns and Bengals. They were 4-6 through 10 games. Yet they went into the final game of the season needing a win in Tampa against the Bucs and a lot of help to get in. Not only did they secure the win, three teams ahead of them lost, pushing the Steelers into the playoffs for a run that came within a play of advancing to the AFC Championship.
Tomlin and Roethlisberger have been in this spot before, as well. They've gone into the final week needing a win and help six times, though things have only worked out in their favor once.
That came in 2015, when the Jets took a 10-5 record and a five-game winning streak into a game at Buffalo, which at 7-8 had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Steelers, at 9-6, needed to beat the Browns and have the Bills, three-point underdogs at home, beat the Jets.
Buffalo jumped out to a 13-0 lead and held on for a 22-17 win that propelled the Steelers, who beat the Browns 28-12 in Cleveland, into the playoffs.
The Steelers can only hope for a similar outcome Sunday. But they'll have to take care of business on their end and not concern themselves with what's happening in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have, however, won six-straight games against the Colts at home.
Compounding the issue is that the Ravens, who have lost five-straight games, also still have a chance to get into the playoffs, though their road is a little rockier.
Not only do they need to win Sunday, they also need the Colts and Chargers to lose and the Dolphins to lose or tie on Sunday.
Chances are both the Steelers and Ravens will walk out of M&T Bank Stadium late Sunday afternoon disappointed. The only difference is that one will have done so by going out on a winning note, while the other will have been handed another loss.
"We’re not going to sit there and talk about who we need to root for; I think our guys pretty much know who that is," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "So, our focus is going to be on our game – winning our game. So, nothing matters if we don’t win. That’s really the focus every week, and that’s what we’re going to focus on."
Tomlin has a similar message for his team, though his job might be a little more difficult this week. First, the Steelers played Monday night, so they have one fewer day of preparation. Second, they'll be on the road. Finally, they just played an extremely emotional game against the Browns in what was the final home game of Roethlisberger's career.
"We always talk about working hard and smart, but you also have to work smart," said Tomlin, whose team also has lost its past four road games. "We'll be smart about the physical work we do this week to make sure they step into the stadium fresh and ready to go. The focus element of it, is what it is. Guys have an understanding what Steelers-Ravens week is. And those that don't will be educated by those that do. There's a certain urgency that comes with preparation this week that brings out the best in us. They challenge us all the time. We love it. We love getting to know ourselves in the midst of tough competition, particularly against a very familiar opponent who is like-minded like they are. I'm not concerned about it from that perspective."
• Tomlin said rookie center Kendrick Green, who was active but did not play against the Browns after suffering a calf injury against the Browns, should be healthy enough to return this week. But he stopped short of saying Green would simply be inserted back into the starting lineup at the expense of J.C. Hassenauer.
Tomlin said he "liked a lot" of what he saw from Haasenauer as both a blocker and communicator and will make a decision later in the week regarding who will start at center. But after the Steelers rushed for a season-high 190 yards, you can bet it will be Hassenauer.
• Tomlin said right guard Trai Turner, who left mid-game for the second consecutive week with a knee issue, could be questionable this week. Rookie left tackle Dan Moore, who pitched a shutout against Myles Garrett, is dealing with an ankle injury.
The players currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 List, which includes linebackers Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, offensive tackle Zach Banner, running back Anthony McFarland and defensive lineman Chris Wormley, all have a chance to return against the Ravens. In fact, Bush was on the sidelines for Monday night's game.