The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced some challenging moments during Mike Tomlin’s 19 seasons as the team’s head coach. However, Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills may have represented rock bottom.
In Week 13, the Bills ran the ball 51 times for 249 yards against the Steelers’ defense. This performance set a new record for an opponent playing the Pittsburgh defense at Acrisure Stadium and marked the most rushing yards the Steelers have yielded in a single regular-season game in 50 years.
Offensively, the Steelers struggled as well. They produced just 90 yards in the first three quarters. The team’s two quarterbacks completed only 10 of 24 pass attempts, and the Steelers failed to score in the second half.
After the game, Coach Tomlin was candid about the disappointing loss.
“Not a lot needs to be said. That’s an awful performance by us,” Tomlin told reporters.
“But it’s us — we didn’t do a lot well tonight, obviously. We didn’t possess the ball or maintain ball security on offense. We were highly penalized, we allowed those guys to run the ball. We didn’t play 60 minutes of action. Didn’t play complementary football. We’ve got to absorb that result.”
Ball control has been a persistent issue for the Steelers throughout the season. Entering Sunday’s game, Tomlin’s team ranked 30th in total offensive plays and time of possession. Against the Bills, Buffalo dominated the clock, controlling the ball for nearly 42 minutes. The Steelers offense ran just 43 plays, compared to 74 for the Bills.
“It’s just not enough production. We’re not going to make excuses for it,” Tomlin stated.
### Struggles Despite Early Leads
The Steelers have now lost five of their past seven games, dropping their record to an even 6-6. If the playoffs started today, the team would miss the postseason. Notably, in three of those five recent losses, the Steelers actually held a lead at halftime.
In all three games where the Steelers lost after leading, the team performed terribly in the third quarter — a trend that continued for the second week in a row against the Bills. Buffalo gained 134 yards in the third quarter compared to just 3 for Pittsburgh.
Tomlin did not hold back when discussing this recurring problem.
“The third quarter was awful. It was awful last week. We’ve got to absorb responsibility for that,” he said.
“We didn’t play a good half of football. We turned the ball over… [We didn’t] produce scores. There’s nothing mystical about that. It was very similar to last week.”
### Critical Turnovers After Halftime Shift Momentum
The Steelers started with the ball after halftime but quickly lost momentum. Aaron Rodgers fumbled while getting sacked on the opening possession of the second half. Buffalo recovered the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Bills the lead for good.
Buffalo then capitalized again in the third quarter, scoring another touchdown off a Mason Rudolph interception.
### Offensive Line Opportunity Missed
The Steelers’ edge rushers have long been praised as one of the league’s best groups, but in recent weeks, they have failed to make a significant impact.
Against the Bills, they faced a favorable situation, as Buffalo started backup players at both left and right tackle. Still, the Steelers’ pass rush was quiet.
T.J. Watt recorded four tackles but had no negative plays. Alex Highsmith contributed six combined tackles, while Nick Herbig added two tackles for loss. Yet, the Steelers defense managed zero sacks and only one quarterback hit.
Tomlin acknowledged the challenge but seemed puzzled by the lack of pressure.
“Good question. I don’t have the answer to it,” he said.
“I know that they weren’t in a whole bunch of one-dimensional passing circumstances, and that’s usually where the backup games show.”
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As the Steelers look ahead, addressing ball control issues and third-quarter performance will be crucial if they hope to turn their season around. The team faces critical weeks ahead to regain momentum and secure a playoff spot.
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