Bengals-Steelers to be in primetime for AFC North title

When the schedule was first released this seemed a real possibility. Eight months later, the stakes become a reality. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh next week will decide the AFC North champion. And it will happen in primetime.

By virtue of the Steelers 20-12 victory against Kansas City and Baltimore falling at Houston, the season finale is set up regardless of if the Bengals win or lose on Monday Night Football against Denver.

The winner will not only win the division but receive a home game in the playoffs. NBC opted to flex the game into the primetime, Sunday night national slot.

Cincinnati would clinch a playoff berth with a win Monday or next week against the Steelers.

Should the Bengals lose both of their games, it would come down to essentially three teams for two final AFC spots. Cincinnati would need either Baltimore to lose at home against Cleveland or San Diego to lose at Kansas City in order to clinch a playoff berth.

Houston and Kansas City are still alive for a playoff berth at 8-7, but can't catch the Bengals.

The only way Cincinnati misses the playoffs is if they lose each of their last two games and both Baltimore and San Diego win next week.

After that, any seed from two to six is still a possibility. Should the Bengals win out, they would land at No. 3 thanks to the Colts 42-7 defeat at Dallas today. Should the Bengals win out and Denver lose at home to surging Oakland, who eliminated Buffalo on Sunday, Cincinnati would earn a first-round bye as the second seed.

The location of a first playoff game won't be but a drive away for fans looking to make a trip. The Bengals will either host a game as the AFC North champion or travel to Indianapolis or go back to Pittsburgh.

The position will all come down to Pittsburgh, though. The Steelers have now won three games in a row since beating Cincinnati, 42-21, on Dec. 7. Next week's game at Heinz Field was the first flexed all season by NBC, which purposely leaves the final primetime slot of the season open every year for a game with the most playoff implications.

This means the Bengals will play four primetime games this year. That ties for the most primetime regular season games in a single season, they also had four in 2007 and 1990.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

1. Patriots* (12-3): Bills

2. Broncos* (11-3): @Bengals, Raiders

3. Colts* (10-5): @Titans

4. Bengals (9-4-1): Broncos, @Steelers

5. Steelers* (10-5): Bengals

6. Chargers (9-6): Chiefs

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7. Ravens (9-6): Browns

8. Houston (8-7): Jaguars

9. Kansas City (8-7): Chargers

*Clinched playoff berth