The Pittsburgh Steelers once again proved that they don't belong in conversation with the best teams in the AFC this year. The Steelers were entering Week 13 as three-point underdogs against the Buffalo Bills, only to get humiliated in a 26-7 defeat.
Despite owning a 7-3 lead at the half, the Steelers couldn't move the ball on offense and were gashed on the ground by the Bills' rushing attack. Pittsburgh was aided by two first-half turnovers from Buffalo that stalled the Bills' offensive drives (and one led to a touchdown for Pittsburgh).
But the Steelers showed their true colors in the second half.
In the third and fourth quarters, Mike Tomlin's team was outscored 23-0, and to be honest, the final score doesn't even begin to show how lopsided the game really was.
In Week 13, the Steelers were blown out in first downs gained (10 to 26), third-down conversions (3 to 8), total plays run (43 to 74), total yards gained (166 to 372), yards per play (3.9 to 5.0), and time of possession (18:01 to 41:59), per ESPN stats.
Now, it couldn't be clearer: Coach Tomlin needs to go.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must move on from Mike Tomlin after another disastrous showing
The Steelers have been outpaced by their opponents in nearly every statistical category in the first 13 weeks of the 2025 season. But their performance has been much worse than anyone realizes.
Pittsburgh is now 6-11 in its last 17 games dating back to the 2024 season. Quite frankly, this is a bad football team (and they've got nothing to show for the moves they made in the offseason).
If the Steelers were going to look this bad, what was the point of trading for DK Metcalf? Why did Tomlin feel the need to sign Aaron Rodgers? They made win-now moves for a team that clearly isn't ready to win now.
READ MORE: Steelers officially have a massive Mike Tomlin problem on their hands
This isn't just a knee-jerk reaction after a Steelers loss.
This is a team going on nine years without a playoff win. This is a team that has three playoff wins in the past 13 years. This is a team with another below-average offense and an underperforming (and overpaid) defense. This is a team with a lack of adjustments and a lack of aggressiveness. And worst of all, this is a defeated team.
Mike Tomlin has long overstayed his welcome in Pittsburgh, and the fans at Acrisure Stadium in Week 13 let him know it. Credit Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills for bulldozing their way to 249 rushing yards and fighting back with a huge second-half performance. But the Pittsburgh Steelers are a bad team right now, and Tomlin must go.