The Steelers’ 27-13 loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday leaves them three games back of the Chiefs for the top seed in the AFC. Pittsburgh is also one game behind the Bills for the second seed in the upcoming AFC playoffs.

The only problem is that those other two teams have already clinched their divisions, while the Steelers have not. Pittsburgh also has no realistic chance of catching either of those teams. Maybe the Bills (11-3), but they finish out their 2024 regular-season schedule with matchups against the Patriots, Jets and Patriots. If Buffalo loses two of three, while the Steelers win out, then, yes, based on conference record (both are currently 7-2 in the AFC), the latter would capture the second seed.

I just don’t see it happening.

Besides, Pittsburgh still has bigger fish to fry, and that’s winning the North. That will become a reality with a victory over the Ravens this Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. Why? The number-one tiebreaker within the division is head-to-head. A win would mean a sweep for the Steelers and guarantee that Baltimore finishes no better than 11-6; 11-6 is the worst record the good guys would finish with under that scenario.

If I’m the Steelers, I’m throwing everything I can at Baltimore on Saturday to win the division. After that, I’m using the last two games to rest as many players as possible and prepare for the postseason.

Outside of the first one that includes a bye, is there much of a difference between seeds two, three and four? Yes, the second seed is still pretty valuable because if you win on Wild Card Weekend, you get another home game for the divisional-round playoffs. I would certainly hold out for that more often than not, but Pittsburgh hasn’t been in this position in quite a long time. It has already clinched a postseason berth with three weeks to go and is reasonably healthy. I don’t know how serious George Pickens’s hamstring injury is, but it doesn’t seem serious enough to keep him out through the playoffs. As for T.J. Watt’s ankle? If it was season-threatening, I’m sure we would have heard about it by now.

I want the Steelers to wrap up the division and worry about nothing else after that. If Watt is healthy enough to play this week, let him wreak havoc on Lamar Jackson for 60 minutes, put on his “We Run the North” t-shirt and hat, and then take Weeks 17 and 18 off. Do you think he needs to play the final two games to be sharp for the postseason? The same goes for Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The great thing about the 2024 AFC playoff field is it’s pretty much set with three weeks to go. If the Steelers do win the division, they’ll likely play either the Ravens, Chargers or Broncos in the first round. Sure, you’d like to see them avoid the Ravens–the best of that bunch–but at least they wouldn’t be intimidated by them.

If Pittsburgh doesn’t capture the second seed–again, the possibility of this happening seems like a long shot–does it really matter if it goes into the playoffs as the third or fourth seed? True, the lower the division-winning seed, the more likely the Steelers play Baltimore. But if any team knows how to play Baltimore, it’s the Steelers. After that, Kansas City or Buffalo in the divisional round? Pick your poison. If you survive that round, it’s likely going to be Kansas City or Buffalo for the AFC title game. Again, pick your poison.

This brings me back to the part about the Steelers not being in this position for a long time. I want to see them win a playoff game. I want to see them go on a run after that. I believe that all starts with reasonable health. I can’t remember the last time they went into the postseason reasonably healthy.

All it takes is one false step or one awkward move in a pile of huge men to wreck a player’s year and a team’s season.

I do think it’s vitally important that the Steelers win the division, and they should keep trying to do that until the end. But if they do that before the end of the year, I say, screw seeds. Two, three, four, hey, you’re in the top four, right?

Health is more important than seeding for your 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers.