Steelers enter new year on 3-game slide | News, Sports, Jobs

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH — Three times in 11 days, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced a team aiming for the Super Bowl, the kind of elite endeavor the Steelers have spent most of the season trying to prove they belong.

And three times in 11 days, Pittsburgh found itself doing all the little things wrong – and some of the big things too – en route to a lopsided loss, the latest being a 29-10 loss to Kansas City on Christmas Day. this provided a stark contrast between two teams going in opposite directions.

The Chiefs — who worked as hard as they improved while chasing a third straight championship — scored twice early, forced two momentum-changing turnovers, had five sacks and closed out the second time they had one the opportunity.

The Steelers (10-6) spent three hours “running on the beach,” as coach Mike Tomlin put it. There was little the defense could do to slow down Patrick Mahomes. The offense struggled to protect Russell Wilson or generate sustainable rhythm, even with wide receiver George Pickens back in the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury.

The result became familiar. Pittsburgh left the field looking for answers that might not come, anyway, not in time to seriously make the playoffs.

“We just have to continue to find ways to get better,” Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt said. “As the season progresses, the margins diminish.”

Too small at the moment, for Pittsburgh to be at its best. The Steelers have fallen far short of that during a three-game stretch that has seen their grip on the AFC North diminish week by week.

Facing a Kansas City team that seems to be finding itself, Pittsburgh has moved away from the identity it established during the first three months of the season. The NFL’s takeaway leader failed to produce a single turnover. Wilson forced a pass into triple coverage in the end zone, which ended a scoring threat. And Watt and the rest of the Pittsburgh defense didn’t take Mahomes’ familiar No. 15 to the ground once.

“You can’t afford to scout their spots and allow them to get around in the pocket and get time,” Watt said. “We had no success.”

No, they didn’t. And the Steelers are running out of time to regain their confidence ahead of a playoff spot they locked up weeks ago. Yet any optimism about their ability to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016 faded amid a slide in which they were outscored by an average of 16 points.

“At the end of the day, the junior varsity team is not good enough, we have to own it,” Tomlin said.

Pittsburgh gets a bit of an extended break before hosting Cincinnati in the regular season finale. How the Steelers respond over the next 10 days is vital.

“Our conviction cannot waver,” Wilson said. “On the contrary, we must place even greater emphasis on our belief.”

Maybe, but it would help if they could also avoid the kind of self-inflicted wounds that dogged them during one of the most trying periods of Tomlin’s long tenure.

A two-play streak late in the first quarter symbolizes how things have gone for Pittsburgh since a win over Cleveland on Dec. 8 pushed the Steelers to 10-3 and made them a fringe contender for the lead standard of the AFC.

Pittsburgh led 13-0 when Wilson orchestrated a crisp drive that gobbled up 69 yards in three plays. Jaylen Warren appeared to end the game with an 8-yard touchdown run. A holding penalty on tight end Darnell Washington negated the score.

On the next snap, Wilson attempted to throw a pass between three defenders to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Kansas City’s Justin Reid did it easily.

“It’s my fault,” Wilson said. “I was trying to give Pat a chance. He did a good job for us in the red zone and they made a good play.”

Although the Steelers managed to get back to 13-7 at the break, the defense gave in almost immediately. Kansas City scored on each of its first three possessions after halftime, including two touchdowns in just over two minutes early in the fourth quarter to put it away.

The Chiefs headed to a jolly locker room where they celebrated in Santa costumes after clinching home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Steelers trudged in the opposite direction, their chances of winning the AFC North fading and a season once full of promise trending toward a familiar outcome: a quick playoff exit.

“At the end of the day, we’re just not performing well enough,” Tomlins said. “I’m less concerned about controlling the division than how well we’re performing at this point.”