The Pittsburgh Steelers can only win the AFC North if they can beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, while at the same time the Steelers need the Cleveland Browns to beat the Baltimore Ravens. That was a tall order even when everything was going right for the Browns, but things got even more difficult on Thursday.

According to multiple reports, including ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Browns are starting Bailey Zappe, who will be the Browns’ fourth starting quarterback this season.

It wasn’t like the Browns had much of a chance of beating the Ravens regardless of who was playing quarterback, but given the circumstances, this could change the Steelers’ strategy for their Saturday night showdown with the Bengals.

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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: The Steelers’ path to the AFC North just got incredibly steep