Steelers Now
Since 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers have won eight straight games off of a bye week under Mike Tomlin. Will they continue this streak in 2025?
After the Pittsburgh Steelers watched the entire AFC North suffer losses in week five, they now sit in first place coming out of their bye week. Under head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers aim to build on their strong play following a bye week.
Since 2007, the Steelers have recorded an outstanding 14-4 record following a bye week. Last season, they won a road thriller against the Washington Commanders. However, last season, their break came after eight games. This time, they got an early bye after their trip to Dublin, Ireland, in week four.
This time, the Steelers will host their divisional foe, who is coming off a London trip in the Cleveland Browns. The Browns, who sit at 1-4, will also be starting their rookie quarterback, who made his first career start in London.
Since 2017, the Steelers have won eight straight games after their week off. The last time they lost a game was in 2016 in Baltimore. That was also the same season Pittsburgh last won a postseason game en route to an AFC Championship appearance.
Additionally, since 2017, Pittsburgh has averaged a 7.9 margin of victory in its current bye-week win streak. At home, that margin of victory skyrockets to 11.75.
While Cleveland has a talented, aggressive defense, their offense will be challenged by a Steelers defense that seems to have found its footing. A victory Sunday could put the Steelers as many as two games ahead in first place in the AFC North.
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a division crown since 2020. Divisional games like these play a key part in that pursuit. Perhaps coming off a week of rest and getting some players back from injury will help get them one more step ahead in the race.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: How Steelers Fare After Bye Weeks Under Mike Tomlin
