I was going to write one of those Thanksgiving-themed articles about what I’m thankful for this year. However, since many other writers are doing that, I figured I’d mix it up a lot and tell you about something I’m extremely grateful for in 2024.

I’m talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff chances with six games left in the regular season.

Last I checked (a few seconds ago), Pittsburgh had a 91 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason. You might be thinking, “Duh!” You’re probably taking a playoff berth for granted and are more concerned with the Steelers’ chances of winning the AFC North. Those chances decreased in Week 12 thanks to that annoying loss to the Browns on Thursday Night Football and the Ravens’ victory over the Chargers on Monday Night Football. I hear your concerns; Pittsburgh is now 8-3 going into Week 13 while Baltimore is 8-4. What could have been a two-game lead with six to go (three when you factor in the Steelers head-to-head tiebreaker advantage) is now a half-a-game. I want that division. I’m extremely desirous of hosting a home game on Wildcard Weekend. Did I want the number-one seed prior to the mistake by the lake? Yes, but a division title and a home playoff matchup would be a nice change of pace from barely squeaking into the dance as the last seed and getting your doors blown off by Patrick Mahomes/Josh Allen. Also, a division title is a bit more valuable now that there are seven playoff seeds in each conference; if a division winner was the third or fourth seed during the sixth-seed era and survived the first round, it was guaranteed to be on the road in the second round. But if the seventh seed knocks off the second seed on Wildcard Weekend, and the third seed defeats the sixth seed, the third seed gets to host a divisional playoff game. For example, the 2023 Detroit Lions, the NFC North Champions and the third seed, got to host two postseason contests on the way to the NFC title game. The fourth seed could realize that same advantage if both the second and third seeds lose on Wildcard Weekend.

Division concerns aside, isn’t it nice not to sweat the Steelers’ postseason chances? Heading into Week 13, Pittsburgh holds a three-and-half-game lead over the eighth and ninth placed teams in the conference; that would be the 5-7 Colts and 5-7 Dolphins, who lost to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving Night. A win in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon combined with an Indy loss to the Patriots would increase the Steelers’ postseason chances to damn near 100 percent. I mean, a four-game lead with five to go? Good luck blowing that advantage–even heading into the death stretch against the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs.

I know what you’ll say, “So we’re celebrating huge leads in the wildcard standings now? This fanbase has gotten soft!” I don’t know if I’m celebrating it, but I’m sure grateful for it. I’m still scarred from Ryan Succop’s field goal miss in 2013. Speaking of that year, I have frostbite in my right big toe thanks to my old boss giving me free tickets to the Steelers/Bengals game on Sunday Night Football in December; Pittsburgh was 5-8, and he didn’t think the postseason was possible. Plus, he was old and it was cold as hell. I spent most of the game standing in the men’s room…Anyway, Pittsburgh won that night and kept on winning. Everything fell into place over the final weeks and final games…until Succop sucked.

Remember the last time the Steelers actually won a playoff game? I’m talking about the 2016/2017 postseason. Sure, Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North and was the third seed. But you may not recall that the Steelers likely would have missed the postseason entirely if not for that Immaculate Extension from Antonio Brown in the final seconds of the penultimate regular-season clash against the hated Ravens on Christmas Day. (It’s too bad the Steelers never won any huge games with that toxic and cancerous AB.)

In addition to Brown, think of all the weird bedfellows the Steelers needed postseason help from over the past decade-plus: Ryan Succop in 2013 (thumbs down); Rex Ryan in 2015 (thumbs up); the Cleveland Browns in 2018 (thumbs down); Devlin “Duck” Hodges in 2019 (thumbs down); the 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 (thumbs up); Joe Flacco in 2022 (thumbs down); and the 5-11 Tennessee Titans in 2023 (thumbs up).

I’m glad I (likely) don’t have to worry about that this year. Let fans of the Dolphins, Bengals and Colts post those Dumb and Dumber “So you’re telling me there’s a chance” gifs when commenting on articles and/or Tweets about their teams’ low postseason odds over the final month and a half.

If the Steelers head into Week 18 needing any help, I hope it’s only for the division title and playoff positioning.

Just the thought of cheering for Joe Flacco again is making my big right toe go numb.