Jarring Steelers Stat Goes Viral After Costly Week 17 Loss To Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers backed themselves into a corner with Sunday’s disappointing 13-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Pittsburgh would have clinched the AFC North with a Week 17 win over the 3-12 Browns. Instead, the Steelers must play the Baltimore Ravens in a winner-take-all showdown for the division crown next weekend.

Stumbling to such a feeble opponent is a familiar situation for the Steelers. CBS Sports researcher Doug Clawson noted that the Steelers are 0-4-1 in their last five games against teams that entered the matchup at least eight games below .500. It’s tied for the longest such streak in NFL history.

Two of those seismic slip-ups nearly cost the Steelers a playoff spot in 2023. They fell to the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals and 2-10 New England Patriots in consecutive games before saving their season with three straight wins behind Mason Rudolph.

They were 11-2 before losing to the 2-10-1 Bengals in Week 15 of the 2020 season and 5-3 when tying the winless Detroit Lions the following year. On Sunday, the Steelers once again fell for a proverbial trap game that could sabotage their playoff hopes.

Pittsburgh responded to a brutal Week 13 loss against the Buffalo Bills by beating the Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. All that stood in the way of a playoff ticket was a Browns team entering Week 17 with a four-game losing streak.

Cleveland’s offense mustered just 262 yards behind Shedeur Sanders, who threw two interceptions at home. Yet Aaron Rodgers couldn’t find a groove without the suspended DK Metcalf, completing 21 of 39 passes for 168 yards.

The Steelers failed to convert all three fourth-down attempts, including a 4th-and-goal from the 7-yard line in the game’s closing minute.

Mike Tomlin avoided a losing season again, but the 9-7 Steelers now must defeat the Ravens in Week 18 to make the playoffs.

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