In just 11 days, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced three teams aiming for the Super Bowl, and it’s clear they have struggled to prove they belong with that elite group.
For the third time in those 11 days, the Steelers did the little things wrong—and some big things too—leading to a big loss, this time a 29-10 defeat to Kansas City on Christmas Day. It was a clear reminder of the difference between the two teams, who are heading in opposite directions.
The Chiefs, who have faced some struggles this season while chasing a third straight championship, scored twice early, forced two key turnovers, had five sacks, and sealed the game when they got the chance.
The Steelers (10-6), according to Coach Mike Tomlin, spent the entire game “running on the beach.” Their defense couldn’t stop Patrick Mahomes, and their offense couldn’t protect Russell Wilson or find any rhythm, even with George Pickens back in the lineup after missing three games due to a hamstring injury.
This loss felt all too familiar for Pittsburgh. After another disappointing performance, they left the field looking for answers—answers they may not find soon enough to make a serious playoff run.
“We just need to continue to find ways to get better,” Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “As the season goes on, the margins are smaller.”
Right now, those margins are too small for Pittsburgh to get by without being at their best. During this three-game losing streak, their chance at the AFC North title has slipped away each week.
Against a Kansas City team that appears to be improving, Pittsburgh has lost the identity they built during the first three months of the season.
They failed to produce any turnovers, and Wilson threw an interception trying to force a pass into triple coverage in the end zone. Watt and the rest of the defense didn’t sack Mahomes once.
“You can’t afford to spot them points and allow them to scramble around in the pocket and have time,” Watt said. “We didn’t have any success.”
The Steelers are running out of time to regain their confidence as they’ve already locked in a playoff spot. But the optimism of making a playoff run for the first time since 2016 has faded as they’ve been outscored by an average of 16 points in their last three games.
“The bottom line is the junior varsity is not good enough, we’ve got to own that,” Tomlin said. Pittsburgh will have some time to rest before they host Cincinnati for the season finale. How they respond in the next 10 days is crucial.
“Our belief can’t waver,” Wilson said. “If anything, we’ve got to turn it up even more on our belief.”
That’s true, but it would also help if they could stop making the same mistakes, which have haunted them during one of the toughest stretches of Tomlin’s long coaching career.
A sequence late in the first quarter summed up how things have gone for Pittsburgh since their win over Cleveland on Dec. 8, which had pushed them to a 10-3 record and kept their hopes for the AFC’s top seed alive.
Pittsburgh was down 13-0 but managed to get going on a 69-yard drive in just three plays. Jaylen Warren appeared to finish the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run, but a holding penalty on tight end Darnell Washington wiped it off the board.
On the next play, Wilson tried to pass into triple coverage to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Kansas City’s Justin Reid easily intercepted the ball.
“It’s on me,” Wilson said. “I was trying to give Pat a chance. He’s done a good job for us down in the red zone and they made a good play.”
Although the Steelers got within 13-7 at halftime, the defense gave up points quickly after the break. Kansas City scored on its first three possessions in the second half, including two touchdowns in less than two minutes at the start of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
The Chiefs celebrated in the locker room with Santa suits after clinching home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, while the Steelers walked off with their hopes of winning the AFC North fading fast. Their season, which once had so much promise, seems headed toward another early playoff exit.
“The bottom line is we’re just not performing well enough,” Tomlin said. “I’m less concerned about the control of the division and more concerned about the quality of our performance at this juncture.”
