After drubbing by Cardinals, look back at some of the Steelers’ worst losses under Mike Tomlin
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It’s hard to think of a worse loss than Sunday’s 24-10 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers by the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals with Mike Tomlin as coach.
Was Sunday’s the worst? Feels like it today. But there are so many more.
We could write this story annually after a bad loss. Sunday felt a little more deflating. Matt Canada has already been fired as offensive coordinator. Can’t blame him. The defense made no splash plays. And the offense was, well, the same sputtering unit we have seen all season.
Wanna get really miserable? Here are a few, in chronological order, awful Steelers losses with Tomlin at the helm.
Dec. 6, 2009: Raiders, 27, Steelers 24
The “unleash hell’ Tomlin quote.
This loss to the Oakland Raiders and quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, a Seton LaSalle graduate, came days after Tomlin promised to “unleash hell” for the rest of the season during a losing streak.
The team never lived up to that promise. Instead they played like hell.
Gradkowski tossed the game-winning touchdown pass in Pittsburgh with 9 seconds left. The Steelers fell to 6-6. There would be no postseason appearance.
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Jan. 8, 2012: Broncos 29, Steelers 23, OT
Tim Tebow, everyone.
Tim freaking Tebow.
The Steelers were 12-4, yet a wild-card playoff team. The host Denver Broncos were 8-8.
Tebow, the quarterback, throws one touchdown pass and runs for another as the Broncos get out to a 20-6 halftime lead.
The Steelers come back to tie the score with 3 minutes, 48 seconds remaining.
The Broncos win the coin toss in overtime and take over at their 20. One play is all it takes for Tebow to stun the Steelers. Demaryius Thomas runs a slant past cornerback Ike Taylor, catches the ball and jaunts into the end zone for a touchdown and a playoff win.
Where were you when that one happened? You most definitely remember.
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Jan. 14, 2018: Jaguars 45, Steelers 42
The stats weren’t bad, at least for the offense. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw five touchdown passes, two to Antonio Brown.
However, Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Blake Bortles passed for 214 yards and one touchdown against the Steelers.
The Steelers twice trailed by 21 points in the first half, but they cut the deficit to seven points on three occasions in the second half.
The final score wasn’t really as close as it shows: Roethlisberger threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster with one second left. The game was already out of reach. Favored by seven points, the Steelers sent fans home frustrated and disheartened. Season over.
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Jan. 10, 2021: Browns 48, Steelers 37
The covid bowl. No fans in the stands. Probably for the best.
Center Maurkice Pouncey’s final game as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
The Cleveland Browns were up 28-0 before most people got up from the couch for a bathroom break.
The Steelers turned the ball over five times, including four interceptions by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that negated the four touchdown passes he threw in the second half.
The Browns became the first team in NFL history to score 28 points in the first quarter, and they reached that mark barely 13 minutes into the game. They scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone on the first play from scrimmage, a 40-yard pass to Jarvis Landry and two rushing scores by Kareem Hunt.
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Nov. 19, 2023: Browns 13, Steelers 10
Let’s just go back two weeks for this one.
Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, making his second career start, completed all four of his pass attempts toward the end of the game. The drive put kicker Dustin Hopkins in position to kick the winning field goal with 2 seconds remaining.
With the score tied 10-10, the Steelers took possession at their 30 with 1:42 remaining and one timeout at their disposal. Pickett threw three incomplete passes. The Steelers punted the ball. The Browns took over at their 35 with 1:18 to play.
Two days later, Matt Canada was fired as offensive coordinator.
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