How much does Steelers-Titans game actually mean? A Super Bowl berth, says history
Every NFL fan is eagerly waiting to watch the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers take on the unbeaten Tennessee Titans in Week 7. While fans know the game will have big implications on the AFC, the result of the contest could actually determine which team makes the Super Bowl in 2020.
That’s what history tells us, at least. The Steelers-Titans game marks the fifth game in NFL history in which two undefeated teams have squared off in Week 7 or later. The last four times that happened, the team that won the game wound up going to the Super Bowl, according to NFL Research.
Steelers at Titans is the 5th game in NFL history between 2 undefeated teams in Week 7 or later (excluding strike seasons)
The winner of the previous 4 such games went on to make the Super Bowl that season
Titans coach Mike Vrabel played in and won 2 such games w/ the Patriots pic.twitter.com/o36LFCSadr— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 21, 2020
While that’s a fun stat, it’s no guarantee the team that wins in Week 7 will go to the Super Bowl. Four games is a small sample, and the fact that it didn’t happen the fifth time two undefeated teams met in Week 7 or later tells you not to get your hopes up if your favorite team wins this game. It’s the NFL, anything can happen.
Obviously, a team that remains undefeated nearly halfway through the season has a good shot at playing in the Super Bowl, so it makes sense that four of the last five teams that did that reached the final game of the season. Whoever wins the contest between the Steelers and Titans will be in fantastic shape in the AFC. At the very least, the winning team will have the best shot at securing the No. 1 seed in the conference, which means that team would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Can Steelers or Titans get to Super Bowl in 2020?
As of right now, both the Steelers and Titans are in fantastic shape to make a deep playoff run. The Titans have built on last year’s second-half surge, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill hasn’t taken a step back. For the Steelers, getting Ben Roethlisberger back has been huge. It also helps that the Steelers once again boast one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Those teams won’t be without competition, however. Both the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs sit at 5-1, and it’s not hard to imagine Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes leading their teams to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
All that should make for some excellent matchups once the NFL playoffs begin. Whoever wins the Steelers-Titans game might have an edge now, but their fans shouldn’t get too excited considering the fierce competition from the rest of the conference.
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