STEELERS WEEK 12: DEATH, TAXES, & STEELERS GOING 9-8

The Steelers actually did a lot right on Sunday. They controlled the run game, moved the ball, stacked up first downs, won on third down, dominated the red zone, and held the ball for six extra minutes. In all the areas they’ve been slipping lately, they finally cleaned things up — and somehow still walked away with a loss.

 

Why? The same two killers that erase any statistical advantage:

 

Turnovers. And penalties.

 

You don’t need a bunch — just a few at the worst possible time. That’s exactly how the Steelers dropped their 15th game in 16 trips to Chicago, a streak going all the way back to 1934. And the most frustrating part? The guys who made those mistakes otherwise played well.

 

Both defenses pride themselves on takeaways. Chicago came in with an NFL-best 22 of them and the top interception rate in the league. On the Steelers’ second offensive snap, the Bears reminded everyone why those numbers are real.

 

The Defense Takes Another Step Back

 

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s defense… well, they regressed again.

 

The Steelers are barreling toward their worst defensive season of the Mike Tomlin era, and he doesn’t seem to have any answers for a unit that has struggled from Week 1. Giving up 31 points to the Bears marks the fifth time in 11 games they’ve allowed 30 or more — something that’s only happened one other time since Tomlin took over back in 2007.

 

And the maddening part? This game was right there for the taking — even with a backup quarterback.

 

The Perfect Snapshot of the Season

 

One of the final plays summed up the whole year perfectly.

 

Mason Rudolph scrambled for a first down that would’ve set Pittsburgh up for a game-tying field goal. But before they could celebrate, a flag dropped: illegal formation.

 

There’s a clip of Aaron Rodgers on the sideline reading the formation instantly — before the snap. That’s the veteran difference. Unfortunately, Rudolph didn’t see it.

 

So now the Steelers sit at 6–5 after a 4–1 start, and up next are a desperate Bills team followed by a trip to play a resurgent Ravens squad that’s also 6–5 and now leads the division via tiebreakers.

 

“The margin for error is slim. It’s the National Football League,” said T.J. Watt. “We have a lot of things to fix quickly. We need to be playing our best football right now.”

 

Two Quick Points…

 

1. The Slow Starts Are Killing Them

The Steelers haven’t scored more than 7 points in the first quarter in 61 straight games. That’s impossible to overcome consistently.

 

2. The Trade I Begged Them Not to Make

The George Pickens trade has been a complete disaster — one of the biggest blunders in modern Steelers front office history.

 

2025 stats:

• Steelers WR room total yards: 1,009

• George Pickens alone: 1,044

 

Yes, Pickens has more yards by himself than the entire Pittsburgh wide receiver room.

 

Sure, some of that is because Rodgers prefers throwing to tight ends… but the bigger point stands: trading your most explosive offensive player for “locker room vibes” was a mistake.

 

You know what creates great vibes in a locker room?

 

Winning.

 

The Reality…

 

Some things in life are inevitable:

 

Death, taxes, and the Pittsburgh Steelers finding a way to finish 9–8.

 

The Steelers have also slipped out of first place in the AFC North:

• Ravens: 6–5

• Steelers: 6–5

• Bengals: 3–8

• Browns: 3–8

 

Next up: the Buffalo Bills, coming into Pittsburgh off an ugly loss and likely angry as hell. This one could get rough if the Steelers don’t tighten up fast.