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The Pittsburgh Steelers already have their playoff ticket stamped as they head into the regular-season finale in Week 17. With that in mind, Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that backup quarterback Mason Rudolph will start for Pittsburgh as 38-year-old Ben Roethlisberger rests up for the postseason. The Steelers clinched the AFC North with a comeback win over the Colts in Week 16 and with the Chiefs already clinching the No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye under the new playoff format, there really isn't much on the line for the Steelers as they close out the year. This is why Tomlin is going to "airmail" a handful of players into the playoffs by giving them the Week 17 break. 

While this is a savvy move by Pittsburgh to keep key players fresh for the postseason, it could have a major impact on how the playoff picture ultimately unfolds. 

Their Week 17 opponent in the Cleveland Browns need a win on Sunday to get into the playoffs, which becomes a bit more realistic as the Steelers roll out the B Team. According to CBS Sports research analyst Stephen Oh's projections, Cleveland's playoff odds increased by 11% with the news that Pittsburgh is resting its starters so they are more than happy to see Big Ben on the sideline in sweats. Now, the Browns have a 73% chance to make the playoffs. 

On the flip side, this news is the worst for the Indianapolis Colts, who don't have total control of their playoff destiny. If the Titans, Browns, Dolphins, and Ravens all win their games this weekend, the results of Indy's Week 17 matchup with the Jaguars is irrelevant and they'll be on the outside looking in of the playoffs. However, if they win and one of those clubs loses (or ties), they'd get in. By the Browns having an easier road to victory with the Steelers resting key stars, that simply makes one avenue into the playoffs a bit more difficult for the Colts, who saw their chances dip 2.9% in Oh's projections following this development. 

They aren't the only ones a bit burned by this, however, as this could impact the Dolphins and Ravens chances as well. A Browns loss would send both of these clubs to the playoffs no matter what comes of their Week 17 contests. While the Ravens should have no problem with the Bengals and the Dolphins could be playing a Bills team that is also resting its stars, the safety net of a potential Browns loss was a nice Plan B. Now, that option appears less likely thanks to Pittsburgh potentially playing a unique kind of spoiler as we close out the regular season. 

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