At 2-1, we're in second because the Steelers lost

[AmishBengalFan]

The current standings in the AFC North see us tied with Baltimore at 2-1, Pittsburgh 1-2 and Cleveland 0-3. Baltimore owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with us because, well, they beat us. So we're in 2nd place.

But had the Steelers won their game against Oakland, moving them into a 3-way tie... we'd be atop the standings on tiebreakers. Here's why:

Tiebreak#1 is head-to-head. Baltimore thumped us, but neither of us have played Pittsburgh. With a 0-0 record, the Steelers have NO record, so the entire tiebreaker has to be thrown out.
Tiebreak#2 is division record. Again, the Steelers are 0-0, so the tiebreaker is thrown out.
Tiebreak#3 is common opponents. The Ravens and Steelers both have a win against a team that we do not play (Patriots and Jets, respectively). So against common opponents, we are 2-1 .667, they are 1-1 .500. This gives us the tiebreak. If the head-to-head game against Baltimore is also removed - which some might argue because the tiebreak might be implied to mean common opponents EXCEPT EACH OTHER, it gets even better: Cincinnati 2-0, Pittsburgh 1-1, Baltimore 0-1. Either way you slice it, the tiebreak would be ours.

So we're in 2nd place right now only because the Steelers lost.

And to be honest, I'm perfectly okay with that.

[Bleeds Orange]

So, you're saying the Stealers will have to win out for us to make the playoffs? Or that we can't win the division if the Stealers don't play any division games? Or that I should have been rooting for the Stealers yesterday?

[|kennethmw|]

[quote name='Bleeds Orange' timestamp='1348543530' post='1162757']
So, you're saying the Stealers will have to win out for us to make the playoffs? Or that we can't win the division if the Stealers don't play any division games? [b]Or that I should have been rooting for the Stealers yesterday?[/b]


[/quote]

That's blasphemy!!

[|SF2|]

[quote name='Bleeds Orange' timestamp='1348543530' post='1162757']
So, you're saying the Stealers will have to win out for us to make the playoffs? Or that we can't win the division if the Stealers don't play any division games? Or that I should have been rooting for the Stealers yesterday?


[/quote]

So our choices were:

Pull for the Stealers to win since it helps our draft position next year in the second round and temporarily puts us at the top of the division in week 3.

Pull for Oakland because we hate the Stealers too much to ever want them to win.

Well, obviously the answer is screw logic, Fuck the Stealers.

[cinci1fan1]

I would rather kill myself than rooting for the stoolers