Off the top, let me get the counterpoint addressed because I agree with it. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ standard should not be “non-losing seasons.” That’s not their goal.
But. When the Steelers have the chance to tie NFL history in any category, it’s worth mentioning. As highlighted during a CBS Sports discussion about the AFC North schedule last week, the Steelers have a chance to tie the NFL’s longest streak of non-losing seasons should they avoid that outcome in 2024. It would make 21 straight years playing .500 or better, tying the 1965-1985 Dallas Cowboys for the record. Pittsburgh surpassed the New England Patriots last season.
Pittsburgh’s last losing season came in 2003, finishing the year 6-10. The Steelers got off to a 2-1 start before losing five straight games, dropping them to 2-6. In Week 15, the team reached a low point, shut out by the New York Jets 6-0, sending them to 5-9 and guaranteeing a losing season. It hasn’t happened since.
A streak so impressive many analysts have a hard time wrestling with the Steelers finishing below .500 in 2024. Still, former NFL defensive lineman Leger Douzable agrees with Pete Prisco that Pittsburgh will fall short of tying the record.
“I have them going 7-10,” Douzable said via CBS Sports. “It’s weird for me to say that because the one thing Mike Tomlin doesn’t do is have a losing season. Lot of people thought he’d have a losing season last year. Well Pete, with that team and all the talent deficiencies they had, he took them to the playoffs.”
A tough schedule in opponent and layout has many analysts wondering if Tomlin’s streak ends in 2024. Since being hired in 2007, he’s never been below .500, going 8-8 in his worst years. He’s stayed afloat despite starting seasons 0-4, playing Duck Hodges at quarterback, and needing to win his final four games in 2022 to avoid a nine-loss and losing season. No matter the circumstances, the Steelers find a way to get over that hump.
Not that the Steelers are hanging a banner for it. Following the 2023 Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, their playoff victory drought extended to seven years, the longest in post-merger history. The Steelers have now lost their last five postseason games, one of the league’s longest active streaks. But to break that one, they’ll need to tie the Cowboys’ record first.
