can the steelers still make the playoffs?

UPDATE: The AFC playoff situation changed slightly after Week 16. For the Steelers to get in: 1) Pittsburgh has to beat Miami, 2) New England has to beat Houston, and 3) either Cincinnati needs to beat the Jets or Oakland needs to beat Baltimore.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was sure they were eliminated by now, but Big Ben came through Superbowl-style today to edge the Packers and move Pittsburgh to 7-7, leaving slight playoff hope alive.

(Editor's note: if you lose to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland within an 18-day span, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. I understand that. Whether they deserve it and whether it will happen are two separate discussions.)

I went through the schedules of each of the AFC teams in the playoff race and predicted how the last two weeks would shake out. Pittsburgh has two tough teams remaining: Baltimore (home) and Miami (road). IF the Steelers can win out (note the BIG IF), determining the two wild card seats will be mucky and require second and third tie-breakers that I don't fully understand to settle it.

Here's how I see it shaking out:

Indianapolis 16-0 *
San Diego 13-3 *
Cincinnati 11-5 *
New England 10-6 *
Baltimore 9-7
Denver 9-7
Pittsburgh 9-7
Miami 8-8
Jacksonville 8-8
Tennessee 8-8
NY Jets 7-9
Houston 7-9
* Division winners

So three 9-7 teams would be fighting for two wild-card spots. Here's where it gets kind of confusing. According to this page, it seems as if wild-card tie-breakers are determined in different ways depending on how many teams are tied.

If there were two teams at 9-7, the first tie-breaker is head-to-head. (In head-to-head action, The Broncos lost to both the Ravens and the Steelers, and the Steelers-Ravens would have split.)

When there are three teams tied, head-to-head action is thrown out the window and wild-card berths are determined by division records. (Within their respective divisions, Denver would be 4-2, Baltimore would be 3-3 and Pittsburgh would be 2-4.)

Therefore, even if the Steelers win two tough games to close the season, it looks they would be odd man out. The only hope they've got is Week 17 upsets from Kansas City over Denver or Oakland over Baltimore; either would most-likely seal them a spot.