Why it's not the end of the world for the Steelers

In the NFL only one game remains, and the AFC representative and NFC champions are familiar teams, in fact it’s a rematch from a Super Bowl a few years back. Kansas City vs. Philadelphia and the Chiefs will attempt to become the first “three-peat” champion in Super Bowl history. 

For the Pittsburgh Steelers and 29 other teams, their seasons have ended with some having their final game in the playoffs and others that came nowhere near being a playoff team. For Steelers Nation, it’s been nothing but gripes about Mike Tomlin suffering his sixth straight playoff loss and fifth in a row coming in the opening round. Steelers fans are understandably frustrated and have been venting 24/7 since the Baltimore Ravens booted the Black and Gold out of the postseason. 

Having been a Steelers fan since 1972, I’ve experienced the best highs of success with Pittsburgh winning six Super Bowls and the low points pre-Mike Tomlin when there were some losing seasons in Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher’s reign. But for those who believe the Steelers are in a low point right now, you have to look around the league and find us in a rather good state of being compared to other franchises. 

The Dallas Cowboys are a storied franchise, yet they have not been back to the Super Bowl since they last won it in the 1995 season in 1996. That’s 29 years. Now owner Jerry Jones is regarded as the worst owner in the National Football League and has just hired Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach replacing Mike McCarthy. Is he joking? There were many more viable candidates, and the Cowboys are in a very tight salary cap situation so don’t expect much from them next season.

One of our rivals are the Cleveland Browns. Simply put, they are a mess. They don’t have a solid starting quarterback and Myles Garrett’s future is in question. As for the teams that did make the playoffs this season, while we all got angry with Pittsburgh’s five straight losses to end their season, they were beaten by the Ravens and Lamar Jackson who had M.V.P. type numbers this past season. Josh Allen might be the front runner for that award, however.

So, Jackson and Allen had amazing seasons statistically, but guess what? Their players will be joining the Steelers rostered men sitting at home for the Super Bowl. Stats don’t matter in the playoffs. Think about the Bills. They have yet to win a Super Bowl while we sit on six. In fact, they made it their four straight seasons and lost all four. That’s embarrassing. Lamar Jackson keeps saying every season he needs to get over the top and win a Super Bowl. Not this year dude.

The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, yet they didn’t even make the post season. Take a glance at the Detroit Lions. They ravaged some teams this past season then choked at home in the divisional round of the playoffs. The end result has the two best teams playing for the championship and Pittsburgh lost to both teams. Something can be said for that, the Steelers losing to each of the conference champions. 

In both those games against Kansas City and Philadelphia, if you didn’t know it then, you will have to admit now, we just aren’t in their class right now. Had we defeated Baltimore, do you honestly believe we would have beaten the Chiefs? As I have said before, I believe you have to have an elite quarterback to be a serious contender for the Super Bowl. Baltimore and Buffalo have that, and they ended up playing each other. But Patrick Mahomes? He’s in a class by himself. 

The Steelers do not have an elite quarterback now and the word is either Justin Fields will be signed again or Russell Wilson but not both. I’m all for Fields all day every day. He’s younger, more athletic, and has more potential. Wilson is past his prime. It would not be smart to bring him back again. I also saw a note in Steelers news about the team possibly drafting Ohio State’s Will Howard. If that becomes a possibility, I think that’s a great move.

We as Steelers fans need to lick our wounds and forget 2024. I don’t like that it appears no coaching changes are planned and it remains to be seen how active Pittsburgh is in free agency and how they draft. No matter what they do, just be proud that we have a winning record every season and do get to the playoffs. This past season 18 teams could not make that claim about being in the postseason. Sure, I’d love to win a playoff game. More so I’d be incredibly happy with another Super Bowl. Only two teams can get there though and you must do special things in order to advance to an NFL title game. 

There are many things the Steelers can change to get better but it has to begin with the offense and have a leader under center that can make big plays and great plays. Justin Fields was not given the opportunity to show he can do that and I’m not confident he can become that type of QB. So, we should go into next season just hoping for more victories and then getting to the playoffs and cross our fingers for some downhome luck.

I say hold your heads high Steelers Nation. We have always been a proud fan base and have had so much success we are naturally spoiled. Every team’s fans want to win and want to win the Super Bowl. But only two teams can have that chance, so you must take what success our team brings. If we were perennial losers, it would suck. But the fact that Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in 18 tries is incredible and there is something to be said for that.



I will say that if the Steelers get to the playoffs again in 2025 only to lose in the first round continuing the current streak, team President Art Rooney will have to consider replacing Tomlin. Not so much for the losing streak but with another first round playoff loss something would have to change, and it would have to be big. Entering the 2025 playoffs if the Steelers get there will put Mike Tomlin on an extremely hot seat.