Week 12 outcomes that would help the LA Chargers playoff chances
By Jason Reed
Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are in the playoff hunt right next to the LA Chargers. The Bengals have the same record as the Chargers and currently have a higher seed while the Steelers are just half a game behind both teams with a tie.
Perhaps another tie would be the best outcome for the Bolts as neither AFC team would come away with a win but that is not very realistic. Thus, we have to decide what the lesser of two evils is and it is the Steelers winning this game.
You have to look at the future prospects of both teams. First of all, the Chargers are ahead of the Steelers, have the head-to-head win over the Steelers and have a better conference record. The Bolts are ahead of Pittsburgh in every right, so them winning (as long as the Bolts win) is not as big of a deal.
The Bengals are essentially tied with the Chargers in every aspect and a loss to them opens the door for the Chargers to get a higher seed if they do not win the AFC West. Not only would the Chargers then gain a game on the Bengals, but they could put a huge stamp in the Bengals' playoff plans by potentially beating them next week and moving them to 6-6.
Both teams have pretty tough ends to their 2021 season so the Chargers, in theory, should be able to outlast both anyways. However, they get more cushion from the Steelers winning this game than the Bengals winning the game.
Let's get into the third game.