The Pittsburgh Steelers jump from Sunday’s 23-9 win against the Cleveland Browns into another AFC North game days from now. A road game against the Cincinnati Bengals. On paper, the Steelers might hold the edge. But history hasn’t been kind to Mike Tomlin. These games are always tough to get ready for, but Pittsburgh’s come away disappointed time and time again.
Pittsburgh’s lost its last four Thursday night road games. The entirety of the Tomlin era isn’t much better. Below are the results of each Thursday night regular-season game since 2007. It’s not a happy list.
| Year | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 29-14 Loss (Browns) |
| 2022 | 29-17 Loss (Browns) |
| 2021 | 36-28 Loss (Vikings) |
| 2019 | 21-7 Loss (Browns) |
| 2016 | 28-7 Win (Colts) |
| 2015 | 28-21 Loss (Patriots) |
| 2014 | 26-6 Loss (Ravens) |
| 2013 | 22-20 Loss (Ravens) |
| 2012 | 26-23 Loss (Titans) |
| 2009 | 13-6 Loss (Browns) |
| 2007 | 41-24 Win (Rams) |
Overall? An ugly 2-9 record. In four of those losses, the Steelers were the favorites and only once were they more than three-point underdogs. It’s not like they were expected to get boat raced.
One easy counterpoint might be acknowledging the difficulty of the situation. Short week and playing away from home? That’s a heavy crown to wear. But the Steelers struggle much more than the NFL average. Here are the numbers.
NFL Winning Percentage, Thursday Road Team (2007-Present)
Steelers: .182 (2-9)
Rest Of NFL: .431 (116-153)
While the rest of the league is predictably below .500, it is roughly 25 points better than Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh at home on Thursday is a much different story. Over the Tomlin era, the Steelers are 7-2, though their most recent game in 2023 against the New England Patriots was a loss. It’s the only home Thursday game the team has played since 2016, drawing the short-end road stick far more often lately.
That makes the Bengals, for all their warts, no guarantee. Divisional games are always close and produce unexpected results, even if the expectation should be shifted toward anything can happen.
The Steelers won’t turn those fortunes completely around in one game. But winning this time is a heck of a start. To avoid being upset by an opponent Pittsburgh should have the upper hand on. To score a divisional win ahead of the mini-bye before a big-time matchup hosting the Green Bay Packers Week 8.
It’s a dragon Pittsburgh needs to slay. It doesn’t need to be pretty, but the Steelers need to come away with a win. And then hope their Thursday game next season is at Acrisure Stadium’s friendlier confines.
