The Pittsburgh Steelers losing in the playoffs is nothing new. But how they lost Saturday night to the Baltimore Ravens highlighted how far this team has to go, not just to compete for a Super Bowl, but to get out of Round One. Toyed with by Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens’ suddenly strong defense and the Steelers had a limp showing, capping a five-game losing streak and sending them to the showers. And everyone saw it. Including a friend of the site, Adam Schein, who provided one last twist of the knife to recap the team’s 28-14 loss.
“I think people like to talk about culture,” Schein said on Sunday’s That Other Pregame Show. “And understand Mike Tomlin’s going to the Hall of Fame. There is an overall problem in Pittsburgh. Once again, another offseason, they don’t have a quarterback. Who’s their quarterback? [Co-host Jonathan Jones] just brilliantly documented the George Pickens issues. T.J. Watt didn’t make a play down the stretch of the season. Another year it ends without a playoff win from Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.”
Russell Wilson appeared to be their quarterback of the present and future—at least for 2025. But even that is in serious question after the Steelers’ offense was held to no more than 17 points in five straight games, a feat they hadn’t done since 1969.
Defensively, it was even more alarming. The supposed strength of the unit, and healthy overall, were carved out to 299 rushing yards against Henry and the Ravens’ rushing attack. Pittsburgh was beaten up at the line and had half-hearted interest, often jogging and letting others make tackles instead of swarming and matching Baltimore’s intensity. Watt went without impacting the stat sheet while playing through an elbow injury.
As Schein rolled through during the segment, Pittsburgh has gone eight years without a playoff win. According to his stat, the Steelers’ 80 regular season wins are the most by a team without a playoff win over an eight-year span in NFL history. Pittsburgh is just as good at avoiding losing seasons as it is losing playoff games.
While the roster figures to receive significant turnover with a large pending free-agent class, the major players figure to return. Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, assuming the latter doesn’t get hired away for a head coaching job. There’s no franchise-changing quarterback out there for the team to add, even if they change out the entire quarterback room again.
It’s the start of another offseason—perhaps the longest one the team has had attempting to solve a problem of its own making without clear answers.
