Steelers have a serious problem against inferior opponents in 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown promising signs of a contending team in 2024. Even after their most recent loss on Thursday Night Football, Mike Tomlin's squad is preparing for the final stretch of the season with an 8-3 record, and it would take the most improbable path to miss the playoffs this year.

The Steelers won back-to-back games against quality opponents in the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 10-11, and some of their victories earlier in the year suddenly look impressive. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are shaping up to be playoff teams in 2024.

But there's a certain demographic of opponent the Steelers have immense trouble with: inferior competition.

Heading into Week 13, all three of Pittsburgh's losses have come against teams with losing records. However, these aren't just teams that are barely below .500. The combined record of the teams they've lost to in 2024 is 12-22.

Before handing the Cleveland Browns their third win of the season, they were a 2-8 football team with nothing to play for. Meanwhile, the Cowboys -- who the Steelers lost to on Sunday Night Football in Week 5 -- were missing defensive stars Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawrence, and DaRon Bland. Pittsburgh's defense was also shredded by Joe Flacco and the Colts in Week 4.

If the Steelers hadn't lost all three of these games as the more talented team, the Browns, Cowboys, and Colts would have a combined record of 9-25. Worse yet, these three teams currently have a combined point differential of -211.

There's really no excuse for dropping must-have games like this.

Steelers seem ill-prepared against bad opponents

We've heard Mike Tomlin's whole define spiel: he doesn't believe in trap games, and the Steelers take every opponent seriously. But this is hard to believe when you examine the evidence.

In 2023, Pittsburgh shot themselves in the foot with a pitiful three-game stretch late in the season against the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. They lost all three of these contests from Week 13-15 with a combined score of 41 to 75. As a result, it took a late-season miracle with quarterback Mason Rudolph just to crack a Wild Card seed in the playoffs.

It's hard to understand why, but Mike Tomlin has struggled at times facing inferior opponents. In addition to the three disheartening losses the Steelers have witnessed against non-playoff teams this year, Pittsburgh almost botched their Week 8 home contest against the New York Giants.

On a positive note, the Steelers are undefeated against teams with winning records at this point in the season. But if Tomlin keeps dropping games to bottom-dwellers like the Browns, can we consider Pittsburgh among the best teams in the league?

It's clear the Steelers have some figuring out to do, before the playoffs. Until they clean up their act against teams they should squash, it's hard to trust them from week to week.