Steelers Now
Under Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-2 following a road Thursday Night Football loss. Will they continue with a strong response?
After the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, they fell to 0-9 on the road in divisional play for this prime time slot since 1970. There is a silver lining for the team historically, however. Under head coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh possesses a strong record following a TNF road loss.
Following a road loss on Thursday Night Football since 2007, the Steelers are 7-2 the following game. This strong record shows Tomlin’s teams are able to bounce back and respond accordingly.
The only two losses coming off of a road Thursday Night Football loss was in 2013 and 2022. Both games may be remembered by Steelers fans.
The 2013 matchup against the Miami Dolphins was played in the snow. It was the same game Antonio Brown narrowly stepped out of bounds on a last second lateral drill. Had he been ruled in bounds, the Steelers would have won. It’s referred to as the “sideline karma” game as it occurred following Tomlin’s infamous Thanksgiving Day sideline controversy against the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2022, following a loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers lost to the New York Jets. In that game, then first-round pick Kenny Pickett made his season debut after halftime. He went on to throw three interceptions–spoiling his first regular season game.
There are also some notable victories following their road TNF losses. In 2014, the Steelers throttled the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football where they had two 100-yard rushing performances by Le’Veon Bell and Lagarette Blount.
Ironically, the first Thursday night loss of Tomlin’s Steelers came in 2009. The following game, they faced the Green Bay Packers at home. The victory was capped off by Ben Roethlisberger’s first 500-yard passing performance and game winning touchdown catch at the gun by rookie receiver Mike Wallace.
The Steelers will face the Packers again this round. While the Steelers’ performance will be under the microscope, the biggest story is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He has the opportunity to beat his former team that drafted him in 2005. If he does defeat his former 18-year team, he will be one of the quarterbacks to beat all 32 NFL franchises.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: How Do Tomlin’s Steelers Teams Respond to Road Thursday Night Football Losses?
