Previously, best league, undefeated 11-0, the Steelers have lost their last three games, including Monday, down 27-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals and third-string quarterback Ryan Finley.
After playing with an offense that has seemed dysfunctional in his previous two defeats, it was more or less the same in the first half for Pittsburgh as they spun the ball three times to allow the Bengals, who had previously won. , win a 17-0 at half-time lead.
In fact, tensions between the division’s rivals increased in pre-match warm-ups. Videos of great receiver Juju Smith-Schuster dancing to the Bengals logo before the game seemed to shoot the Cincinnati defense. And, in the first quarter, Vonn Bell’s safety produced a strong hit to force a Smith-Schuster boom and regain possession.
Although Pittsburgh’s offense performed better in the second half, it was unable to cancel out the deficit in the first half, causing its third straight loss.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin admitted his team “isn’t a good football group right now.”
“Right now we’re not a good football group. We understand the consequences of that. We’re working in a short week. We have to be better than we’ve been. That’s just the reality.”
In a competitive division, alongside the 10-4 Cleveland Browns, who play the Steelers on Jan. 3, and the Baltimore Ravens, 9-5, the last-ranked playoffs seem to be heading for the thread, with just two weeks of play .