The Pittsburgh Steelers secured an enormous 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, bettering their file to 9-3 this season.
It was an vital win as a result of it not solely helped them bounce again from a troublesome Thursday night time loss in Cleveland but in addition allowed them to keep up their maintain on prime of the AFC North Division this week. It additionally delivered a possible knockout punch to the Bengals’ playoff possibilities within the AFC.
It was additionally an vital win for head coach Mike Tomlin. With the ninth win, it ensures the Steelers a minimum of a profitable file this season. That signifies that Tomlin now has his 18th consecutive season with out ever having a dropping file as a head coach.
He has had three 8-8 seasons (2012, 2013 and 2019) alongside the way in which, however in his different 15 seasons has completed with a profitable file.
Throughout that point, the Steelers have performed only one sport the place they didn’t have a minimum of a mathematical likelihood of creating the playoffs (Week 17 of the 2012) season. In each different sport, they had been both clinched right into a playoff spot, or had an opportunity to make it.
There are a few alternative ways to have a look at this.
On one hand, whereas the Steelers have been persistently aggressive, they haven’t had a lot success come playoff time over the previous decade. Since their most up-to-date Tremendous Bowl look in 2010, they’ve received simply three complete playoff video games and haven’t received a playoff sport for the reason that 2016 season. That’s a very long time, and it isn’t the usual the Steelers like to carry for themselves.
That should get higher.
However, being a persistently aggressive soccer crew yearly over 18 consecutive seasons continues to be a really spectacular accomplishment. The NFL just isn’t designed for groups to be that persistently good. With the wage cap, free company and simply the very nature of how video games are performed and the way a lot of a job luck can play, the league is about up for parity the place yearly, all people has an opportunity. When anyone will be good in any given 12 months, it additionally holds true that anyone will be unhealthy in any random 12 months. Tomlin and the Steelers have simply been persistently good and, over the previous few years, have been doing it with out the luxurious of a franchise quarterback.
In 2019, they misplaced Ben Roethlisberger two weeks into the season and nonetheless went 8-8 (together with an 8-6 file with out Roethlisberger) with Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph enjoying.
In 2020 and 2021, Roethlisberger was a fraction of what he was at his prime and was not one of many league’s greatest quarterbacks.
In 2022 and 2023, they went 19-15 (with a playoff look) regardless of the trio of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Rudolph having among the worst quarterback manufacturing within the league.
In 2024, it’s Russell Wilson and Justin Fields main them to wins.
They should do extra within the playoffs. They a minimum of preserve giving themselves an opportunity to get there.
