The Steelers kept their losing streak alive, and this once-strong-looking team appears to have completely collapsed. Winter has been cruel to this franchise, dropping their last four games in embarrassing fashion. The offense has seemingly given up while the defense has struggled to contain opposing offenses.
Pittsburgh doesn’t even look like a playoff team anymore. Earlier on, the Steelers were a force to be reckoned with. The offense was efficient and could put up the points when necessary. The defense was stifling, and even as their play eroded a bit, they were still doing enough to limit opposing offenses. Now, neither unit is doing much of anything.
The Bengals were a great team to get back on track. You had an extended bye week because of having to play on Christmas, and the Bengals' defense isn’t a strong one. Instead, the same pathetic unit showed up, and the results were predictable. There are no winners in this game, and frankly put, I only see one loser.
Steelers fans deserve better than Russell Wilson
This once-great franchise has suffered through some horrible times as of late. Sure, they are producing winning seasons, but the end result is the same. The team seems outmanned and outmatched once they get to the playoffs.
Pittsburgh looked like they had bucked that trend this year finally. Even I was convinced that we had turned over a new leaf. The brutal last stretch of the season has killed that hope. It’s one thing to sink when you are tasked with playing three of the best teams over a short stretch, but those games and the one against the Bengals all looked the same. This team had floundered a great opportunity, and everyone is to blame.
I find myself most dissatisfied with the coaching though. We saw some ugly warts develop during this stretch, and instead of adjusting and trying to fix them, the Steelers decided to ignore them hoping they would go away. The offense has gone into a shell and the defense looks like a bottom unit. Worse yet, every week is the same thing.
Identical play calls and concepts as Mike Tomlin definitely tried to right this ship without really changing anything.
As a fan, it sucks, and the hope of breaking the team's playoff issues this season seems sunk. No matter who they match up against, it will take a minor miracle for this team to win in the postseason. Instead, it is another winning season with little to show for it. Some major changes need to happen, as settling for this mediocre brand of football shouldn’t be tolerated by a franchise as successful as Pittsburgh.