The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ track the last several years. Good enough to be in the playoff hunt. Not talented enough to get over the hump. Pittsburgh has been in the Wild Card mix for years and no matter what change has been made – quarterback, coordinator, or large swaths of the roster – the results have remarkably stayed the same. Football purgatory. The idea that the Steelers are stuck in a weird in-between, unable to find a way out.
But is it true like the analysts claim? To examine, I dove into the longest team streaks winning nine or 10 games, the numbers generally regarded as “good, not great” since the NFL switched to a 16-game regular-season format in 1978. The Steelers have done it four-straight years, 2021 through 2024. Has anyone topped them?
Below is a table of teams with the longest stretches of “purgatory” since ’78.
Longest Purgatory Streaks (1978-Present)
| Team | Purgatory Streak |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 Seasons (2021-Present) |
| Tennessee Titans | 4 Seasons (2016-2019) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4 Seasons (2015-2018) |
| Houston Oilers | 4 Seasons (1987-1990) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 Seasons (2022-Present) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 Seasons (2020-2022) |
| Houston Texans | 3 Seasons (2014-2016) |
| New York Giants | 3 Seasons (2010-2012) |
| Denver Broncos | 3 Seasons (2002-2004) |
| New York Jets | 3 Seasons (2000-2002) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 Seasons (1997-1999) |
| Detroit Lions | 3 Seasons (1993-1995) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 Seasons (1993-1995) |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 Seasons (1992-1994) |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 Seasons (1987-1989) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 Seasons (1986-1988) |
The Steelers are tied for the NFL’s longest streak with a chance to set the mark in 2025. The Seattle Seahawks are on a three-year active streak with the chance to make it four-straight this season. It’s interesting to see the frequency some teams appear on this list. Of the 16 total instances, all of which have occurred since 1986, the Seahawks have done so three times, the Miami Dolphins three times, and the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers franchise twice. They make up nearly half the list.
But purgatory isn’t just about the regular season. The New York Giants appear on the list for their 2010-2012 streak but won the Super Bowl in 2011. That’s not being stuck. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has failed to win a playoff game during its current streak, making its one-and-dones truly feeling empty. Let’s narrow down the list to three-plus season streaks without a playoff win.
Longest Purgatory Streaks (Without Playoff Win)
| Team | Purgatory Streak |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 Seasons (2021-Present) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 Seasons (2022-Present) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 Seasons (2020-2022) |
| Denver Broncos | 3 Seasons (2002-2004) |
| Detroit Lions | 3 Seasons (1993-1995) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 Seasons (1986-1988) |
A much shorter list of just six instances and five teams, the Seahawks appearing twice. That includes their active streak.
The conclusions can be restated but are already known by the organization and fan base. Pittsburgh has spun its wheels for years and the entirety of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. A “life finds a way” approach to beating the odds and winning nine or 10 games. But an inability to get to break through during the regular season or the playoffs.
It all has to change. You know that. I know that. Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Art Rooney II, they know that. But to quantify what normally can’t be done, “what is purgatory?” the Steelers are sure in it.
