The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals at the Acrisure Stadium in Week 16. Head coach Mike Tomlin's team has lost their last three games and has slipped to 7-7.The Steelers were in prime position to earn a playoff spot after their Week 12 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati. Their next two games were at home against the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots. Both teams had won only two games when they faced Pittsburgh.The Steelers surprisingly lost both games before being thrashed 30-13 by the Indianapolis Colts last week, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Despite the Steelers' unexpected slump in form, their quest for a playoff spot remains alive. Let's explore how Pittsburgh can earn the opportunity to continue playing beyond the regular season.Steelers playoff path: What Pittsburgh needs to earn a postseason spotSteelers Colts FootballThe Pittsburgh Steelers have three games left on their regular season schedule. They will face the Bengals at home before traveling to Seattle in Week 17 and Baltimore in Week 18 to battle against the Seahawks and Ravens, respectively.The Steelers sit at the bottom in the AFC North standings. The 11-3 Ravens lead the division race, and Pittsburgh cannot catch them even if they win their remaining three games. Winning the AFC North is not an option for the Steelers.They will now focus on earning a wildcard spot. The Steelers are the 10th seed ahead of Week 16. However, they could climb two places if they beat the Bengals and the Buffalo Bills lose to the Chargers. The Steelers have a better record against divisional rivals and hold the tiebreaker over the Bills. They will also root for division rivals Cleveland Browns to beat the Houston Texans so they could have the same record as the latter.If the Steelers run the table and finish with a 10-7 record, their hopes of a playoff berth will likely boil down to the result of the Week 18 game between the Colts and Texans. Both teams hold the tiebreaker over the Steelers, so Pittsburgh will need one of those two teams to lose two of their remaining three games.To summarize:The Steelers will have to run the table and finish 10-7The Texans or Colts will have to lose two of their remaining three gamesThe Buffalo Bills will have to lose one of their remaining three gamesThese three outcomes will ensure the Steelers enter the playoffs as the seventh seed.#Update: The Steelers defeated the Bengals 34-11 this week, and are now 8-7 on the season. Also both the Colts and Texans have lost their respective games.However, if results elsewhere go in the Steelers' favor but they lose in Week 16, our NFL Playoff Predictor suggests they won't be heading to the postseason. Pittsburgh's hopes heavily hinge on them winning their remaining three games.