The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone yet another season without a postseason victory, eight-straight seasons after falling to the Baltimore Ravens, 28-14, in Saturday night’s Wild Card Game in another terrible showing. Not only does it further their longest drought of the post-merger era, their six-game losing streak is tied for the NFL’s worst active streak.
Pittsburgh has tied the Miami Dolphins for the longest playoff losing streak, each franchise losing its last six postseason opportunities. Here’s the current loser leaderboard.
Longest Active Playoff Losing Streaks
1. Miami Dolphins – 6 (2000-2024)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers – 6 (2016-2024)
3. Washington Commanders – 6 (2005-2024)
4. Multiple Teams – 3
The Commanders join the six-club tomorrow should they lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC Wild Card game. Pittsburgh’s season ends the way it has so many times before, one-and-done in the postseason. The losing streak began in the 2016 AFC Championship Game, blown out by the New England Patriots in what served as the team’s last serious Super Bowl run.
Since, it’s been nothing but short stints in the postseason. Upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 Divisional Round to spoil a talented offense and successful regular season. The 2020 collapse from an 11-0 start to end with the Cleveland Browns celebrating in Heinz Field for their first playoff win in ages. Ben Roethlisberger’s final NFL game being stomped on the road against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City and the 2023 loss to the Buffalo Bills after Pittsburgh squeaked in as a Wild Card team.
The list of teams that have gone longer without winning a playoff game than Pittsburgh is shrinking: the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, and Miami Dolphins. Denver and Washington can end their droughts tomorrow.
Winning a playoff game wasn’t the Steelers’ ultimate goal but it served as a yardstick, a measure of progress. The lack of one has been a source of frustration and angst inside the building and among the fans.
For a time, it felt like 2024 would be the team’s best recent chance to break the streak. An overhauled quarterback room and healthy defense led Pittsburgh to have a top-10 scoring offense and top-five scoring defense more than midway through the regular season. But a four-game losing-streak halted Super Bowl contention speculation, the Steelers falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs in a span of 11 days. The regular season ended with a close loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, making Pittsburgh the NFL’s first 10-win team to drop its final four since the 1986 New York Jets.
They finished the year getting rolled by the rival Ravens. Like the other losses, the Steelers were outclassed in the early going, now outscored 73-0 in the first quarter of their last six playoff games. By halftime, Baltimore had more than 300 yards and a 21-point lead.
While there will be changes to the organization, some staff and probably a fair amount to the roster with a large pending free agent class, Mike Tomlin will return as head coach in 2025. And hope for a different result.
