Welcome back to STEP Differential. STEP stands for Sack + Turnover(x2) + Explosive Play Differential. Make sure you’re flipping through pages 2-5 to see everything broken out by component and the overall performance of the STEP Differential in individual games. Infogram below:
Nearing the final results for 2025 and there’s plenty to like in the STEP Differential. The Falcons are going to end with a big positive number but miss the playoffs. They did, however, just beat the top STEP Differential team
in the Rams on Monday Night Football to muck up a whole lot of stuff. The Falcons could now help the Panthers get into the playoffs if they lose their game to the Bucs on Saturday with a win against the Saints. Absolutely wild.
The Ravens and the Steelers are on opposite ends of the spectrum here and play on Sunday Night Football in the final game of the regular season to determine the final division winner and playoff team for the tourney. Obviously, STEP Differential likes the Steelers a lot more than the Ravens, but the Ravens are 3.5 point road favorites. They were preseason darlings and a talented team in what was supposed to be a Super Bowl season.
The Jets sure look like they’re going to surpass the -101 mark set by last year’s Browns. They currently sit at -98 and play the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. The Bills are going to want to push for a better seed as the five seed will travel to Pittsburgh/Baltimore, which looks a lot better than traveling to one of the other destinations (Denver, New England, Jacksonville/Houston) at this point. It’s been a truly dreadful time in New York for Aaron Glenn’s first season and Sunday might seal the worst season we’ve ever seen for STEP Differential.
