ClutchPoints
The Pittsburgh Steelers somehow found a new way to shock their own fanbase in Week 17. And that was not in a good way. Pittsburgh’s baffling inability to handle bottom-tier opponents reached historic territory with a road loss to the Cleveland Browns, 13-6.
It extended an almost unbelievable streak. The Steelers are now winless (0-4-1) in their last five games against teams that entered at least eight games below .500. That slump has tied the longest such skid in NFL history. It’s a trend so absurd it defies logic. Sadly, it keeps happening.
This latest collapse fits an all-too-familiar script. Despite superior talent on paper, the Steelers again played down to their competition. It echoed infamous missteps against the 2-10 Bengals, the 0-8 Lions tie, and ugly losses to the Cardinals and Patriots in previous seasons. Under Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh continues to dominate good teams while inexplicably unraveling against bad ones. This raises uncomfortable questions about preparation, adaptability, and offensive consistency.
The Week 17 loss to Cleveland was especially damaging. Pittsburgh’s offense sputtered for most of the afternoon. They failed to score a touchdown and repeatedly stalled in scoring territory. Missed opportunities, penalties, and late-game inefficiency turned what should have been a routine win into a demoralizing setback. The outcome also snapped the Browns’ losing streak and stalled the Steelers’ momentum at the worst possible time.
Zooming out, the Steelers’ 2025 season has been a paradox. At 9-7, they’ve secured yet another non-losing campaign and remain alive in the AFC North race. This loss, though, just set up a winner-take-all finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Of course, the ceiling and the fear remain obvious. If Pittsburgh can’t reliably dispatch the league’s worst teams, trusting them in January becomes a leap of faith few are ready to take.
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