The Steelers had the AFC North in their grasp. And they blew their chance, losing to the previously 3-12 Browns.
It’s not the first time the Steelers have fallen flat in recent years against a bad team.
Via Doug Clawson of CBS Sports, the Steelers are winless in their last five games against teams that entered the contest eight or more games below .500. That ties the longest streak in NFL history.
The Steelers lost to the 2-10-1 Bengals in 2020 (Pittsburgh entered the game 11-2), they tied the 0-8 Lions in 2021 (the Steelers entered the game 5-3), they lost to the 2-10 Cardinals in 2023 (Pittsburgh was 7-4), they lost to the 2-10 Patriots the very next week in 2023 (7-5), and they lost on Sunday to the 3-12 Browns (9-6).
While many players have changed since 2020, there are some constants, both on the roster and the coaching staff (starting with, obviously, head coach Mike Tomlin). The situation speaks to the habit of overlooking a subpar foe, losing just enough focus to not beat them.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they won’t be facing any more teams with bad records, either next week or in the postseason, if they can beat the 8-8 Ravens and qualify for the playoffs. It the Steelers lose to Baltimore, the Steelers can blame themselves for another failure to handle a team with a very bad record.
