PITTSBURGH — There are 544 games in an NFL season, but Sunday's classic between the Steelers and Detroit Lions at Ford Field stands out among the rest. The game had big plays, drama, controversy and an ending worthy of a Hollywood production.

"The result of the play is a touchdown. However ..."

The Steelers' season brightened while the Lions' darkened on one result. All the Steelers need now is one win in their final two games or one loss by the Baltimore Ravens to clinch the AFC North title. The Lions, meanwhile, need a win Thursday, another one next week and two losses by the Green Bay Packers to qualify for the postseason.

How quickly things can turn in the NFL. One year ago, the Lions were the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but they lost their first playoff game at home to the Washington Commanders. With a loaded roster once again, the Lions were one of the favorites to win this year's Super Bowl. Now they need a minor miracle to merely get into the playoffs.

One year ago, the Steelers were in the midst of a five-game losing streak that ended their season. Just one month ago, they were 6-6 and the locals wanted Mike Tomlin fired following an uninspiring home loss to the Bills when nothing went right.

"We haven't gotten too high or too low," Steelers captain Cameron Heyward said. "In this game, you want to get hot at the right time. I feel like we're doing that. It's not overlooking opponents. It's locking in. It's understanding it's a team effort. We don't care who gets the credit. The main thing about this group is it's an unselfish group that really thrives on having success."

There is an art to peaking at the right time, and it's hard not to compare this season to last. A year ago, many of the team's flaws were never fixed. Their weaknesses were exposed — with great embarrassment to the Steelers — in a wild-card loss at Baltimore.

The Steelers had issues galore for the first three months of this season, but they're playing their best as the postseason approaches.

"You look at that stretch at the end of the year, we went on a five-game losing streak and kind of dealt with our warts in the playoffs," Heyward said. "I just think we do a much better job of collectively holding each other accountable and then playing better ball group to group. When one group makes mistakes, like special teams, or offense or defense, our complementary ball has been really good the past couple of weeks."

Receiver Ben Skowronek played on the 2021 Los Angeles Rams, who won nine of their final 10 games that season. The only loss came to the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in the final game of the regular season.

"You don't want to go into this part of the season not winning football games and not having that belief," Skowronek said. "I feel like you have to have that belief in the locker room. That's something we're starting to get — that belief. I'm excited for these next few weeks."

In 2022, the Rams went 5-12 and did not sniff the postseason. In the NFL, you have to strike while the iron is hot. Nothing is guaranteed from season to season.

The Lions are this year's example. The very idea of missing the playoffs never crossed the mind of their quarterback Jared Goff until after Sunday's game ended.

"We haven't had that feeling, it's creeping up on us now," he said.

It's the cruel reality of the NFL, where parity rules. If the standings currently hold across the league, there will be seven new division winners. Only the Philadelphia Eagles would repeat as division champions.

The Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They had played in seven consecutive AFC championship games. The Ravens, another AFC mainstay with six postseason appearances in the past seven years, can be eliminated as early as Saturday night if they lose to the Packers. Or Sunday afternoon if the Steelers beat the Browns.

The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars were 4-13 last season. They each have a chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

You'd stand to make some money if you had the foresight to make a wager back in August. The Patriots and Jaguars were both +8000 to win the Super Bowl. Only eight other teams had worse odds.

The Steelers had a few more believers but not many. They were +4000.

If the Steelers beat the Browns on Sunday it would be a fourth consecutive win and establish their longest winning streak of the season. It also would set the stage for the first playoff game at Acrisure Stadium with fans in the seats since 2018, when they lost to the Jaguars in an AFC divisional round game. (The AFC wild-card loss to the Browns was played without fans in the seats due to COVID-19).

One thing about the Steelers if they do clinch a playoff berth: They won't have to flip the switch to get into playoff mode. They've been there since the loss to the Bills dropped them to 6-6.

"It's been playoff-type football for us the last three weeks," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We had to win to take the lead in the division. We had to win to shut down a team [Miami] that had won four in a row and was hot, shut down their playoff hopes. And we had to win against a team with a lot of pride that has played in an NFC championship game in the last couple years.

"So, it says a lot about the guys we got. Says a lot about the leadership, the organization and the players."

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