The Pittsburgh Steelers have managed to stay afloat without their starting quarterback. Despite not having Ben Roethlisberger for a quarter of the season, the Steelers still went an acceptable 2-2 over the last month to bring their overall record to 4-3.

With Roethlisberger expected to play on Sunday against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals, this is by far their biggest game of the season. The Steelers are not only alive in the wild card race, but they can still win the AFC North division this season. A win this week at home against the division leader would be monumental for Mike Tomlin's squad.

If the Steelers were to beat the Bengals this weekend, it would put them just one win behind the Bengals for first place.

As usual, you can expect a heavy dose of Le'Veon Bell in that game. Bell is widely considered the best running back in the NFL by many, and the Bengals don't have an elite rushing defense. It will be his first game back, but Roethlisberger is one of the best at extending plays and one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the game today. A loss on Sunday wouldn't be devastating for the Steelers' playoff hopes, but it would nearly crush their dreams of winning the division.

Antonio Brown hasn't caught a touchdown since Week 2, but getting his starting quarterback back may just end that drought.

Thankfully for the Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens have been the most disappointing team in the league this season. Incredibly the Ravens have the worst record in the NFL, and they won't be making a playoff run anytime soon. On top of that, the Cleveland Browns are just 2-5 having lost four of their last five games. The Steelers are currently the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and the Oakland Raiders hold the other wild card spot.

There is a bit of a blemish on the Steelers schedule however. Three of their four victories this season have come against NFC teams -- Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams. The Steelers need to start beating some AFC teams to get back in this, more specifically AFC North teams. The Steelers are 0-1 in divisional play with an overtime loss to the Ravens.

It will take some luck for the Steelers to win the AFC North. They don't control their own destiny,and thus, they will need some help from other teams to beat the Bengals. The Bengals toughest game remaining (by record) is against the Denver Broncos in Week 17. That final game could very well decide the division winner.

Winning the division would be great, and possibly even solidify home field advantage through the playoffs with a bye week, but the Steelers have proven in the past that they can win on the road. In the 2005-06 season they were a wild card team and won the Super Bowl despite playing a single game at home.

 Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1