The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for Week 18 of the regular season, and their opponent is known. They’ll play host to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the day and time of the game has been unknown the entire season. This is a yearly affair with the NFL and how they hand pick their games in Week 18 and their day and times.

The NFL wants drama in the prime time slots, and they love to keep the competitive balance even between teams who might be vying for a postseason berth. With the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, andCincinnati Bengals all trying to claim the final spot of the AFC Playoffs, there is typically a strong likelihood they will all be playing at the same time to keep things even.

After Week 17 has concluded all but the Monday night game, the NFL has finally announced the day/time for the Week 18 slate of games. The Steelers and Bengals will square off Saturday night in prime time at Acrisure Stadium.

Week 18 Saturday games:

🏈Browns at Ravens: 4:30 ET

🏈Bengals at Steelers: 8:00 ET

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2024

With both AFC North matchups going on Saturday, it appears the NFL was more worried about which team is winning the division than they are who gains the final spot in the postseason. But even if the Bengals fall to the Steelers Saturday night, there will still be drama on Sunday for the Broncos and Dolphins as the only unknown will be if the Bengals are still alive.

As for the AFC North, the Steelers will know by kickoff if they have a shot to win the division or not since the Ravens are hosting the Browns at 4:30 PM. Whether or not this affects the Steelers philosophy in the game has yet to be determined as, even if the Ravens are victorious, whether or not the Steelers are the fifth or sixth seed will still be up in the air based on the result against the Bengals. Even if the Steelers do fall, they could still end up as the fifth seed if the Los Angeles Chargers lose to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Bengals in the regular season finale at Acrisure Stadium.