Not long ago, it felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers were spinning their wheels.
In 2024, the Steelers burst out to a 10–3 start that had fans talking about Super Bowls and home-field advantage. Then everything unraveled. Pittsburgh lost four straight games to close the regular season, slipping to 10–7. The offense stalled, the defense wore down, and injuries began to stack up. By the time they reached the playoffs, they weren’t a team riding momentum — they were simply hanging on. The season ended quietly in Baltimore with a first-round loss that felt less like a battle and more like the final chapter of a team already running on fumes.
Fast forward to 2025, and the story started to feel painfully familiar.
After another fast start, this time 4–1, the Steelers hit a wall again. They fell to 6–6, and frustration in Pittsburgh reached a boiling point. It all came to a head during a nationally televised home loss to the Buffalo Bills. The crowd booed, chanted “Fire Tomlin,” and even drowned out the iconic “Renegade” — something that almost never happens at Acrisure Stadium. For a franchise that prides itself on stability and loyalty, it was a loud and uncomfortable moment.
Mike Tomlin, as always, became the lightning rod. To some fans, he’s the steady hand that keeps the Steelers competitive every year. To others, he’s the symbol of a team that’s good — but never quite great — and too often stumbles when the stakes are highest.
But then something changed.
Three weeks later, Pittsburgh has ripped off three straight wins. The Steelers are 9–6. The offense looks more confident, the defense is flying around again, and suddenly the team has control of its own destiny. With a win Sunday in Cleveland, Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North outright.
Baltimore made sure there’s no margin for error, keeping the pressure on with a win in Green Bay on Saturday. That means the Steelers must take care of business. If they don’t, the division could come down to a nerve-wracking, winner-take-all showdown with the Ravens in Week 18 — the kind of scenario that brings back all the scars of past late-season collapses.
That’s what makes today’s game so important.
This is the opposite of how 2024 ended. Instead of backing into the playoffs after four straight losses and heading on the road with a team losing steam, the Steelers have a chance to clinch the division with a fourth straight win, secure a home playoff game, and walk into January playing their best football.
It might be the biggest regular season game Mike Tomlin has coached in years.
Win, and the narrative flips — from collapse to comeback, from frustration to belief. Lose, and the questions get louder again. Is this just another familiar December fade? Or is this finally the moment Pittsburgh proves it can finish?
Sunday in Cleveland will give us the answer.