Top 10 Ugliest Losses Of The Mike Tomlin Era
A lot has been made of the Steelers' seeming proficiency in losing games to bad opponents. Many fans say there have been far too many since Mike Tomlin was hired as head coach before the 2007 season. There's no denying the Steelers have suffered some ugly losses under Tomlin's tenure.
But which one is the worst? Using a not entirely unscientific method, we compiled the following Top 10.
No. 10 Jets – 19, Steelers 16 (Overtime) – Nov. 18, 2007
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1EzLLDy)
En route to their first division title and playoff appearance under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers hit a pothole. With quarterback Kellen Clemens and running back Thomas Jones the offense, the 1-8 Jets scrapped their way to a tying field goal in the fourth quarter and another in overtime for an unlikely victory at Giants Stadium. The loss dropped the Steelers record to 7-3.
No. 9 Vikings – 34, Steelers – 27 – Sept. 29, 2013
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1EzM1CD)
This game contested in London between two winless teams was dominated by Minnesota. The Vikings built a 34-17 lead behind running back Adrian Peterson and quarterback Matt Cassel. The Steelers scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short. The loss dropped the Steelers to 0-4, their worst start since the AFL-NFL merger and their first 0-4 start since 1968.
No. 8 Browns – 20, Steelers – 14 – Nov. 25, 2012
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1wXZjsa)
This was the low point of a late-season collapse that saw the Steelers lose 5 of 6 games. The Steelers lost 5 fumbles in this game. A Browns touchdown in the third quarter would prove to be the game-winner at Cleveland Browns Stadium. It was the Steelers' first loss to the Browns in 3 years. The Steelers record slipped to 6-5. The win made the Browns 3-8.
No. 7 Raiders – 27, Steelers – 24 – Dec. 6, 2009
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1xlnsKu)
Days after Tomlin stated that the Steelers would "unleash hell" in December, the team suffered its fourth defeat during a 5-game losing streak that doomed their season. Seton-La Salle Catholic High School grad Bruce Gradkowski made his homecoming one to remember. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining. It was the fifth time in six games that the Steelers suffered a fourth quarter collapse, and the second time in three weeks the Steelers had fallen to an opponent with a losing record. The Raiders' win made them 4-8. The Steelers fell to 6-6.
No. 6 Browns – 13, Steelers – 6 – Dec. 10, 2009
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1sJ6tLy)
Just four days later, the final chapter of the Steelers' 5-game losing streak of 2009 was written – A Thursday night loss in windy, sub-freezing conditions in Cleveland. The Browns sacked Ben Roethlisberger 9 times. It was the Browns' first win against Steelers since 2003. Also, the Browns became only the fourth team in NFL history to be at least 10 games under .500 and defeat a defending Super Bowl champion. The Browns' win made them 2-11. The Steelers fell to 6-7.
No. 5 Jets – 20, Steelers – 13 – Nov. 9, 2014
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1Bi2yyK)
The Jets entered game with a 1-8 record. The Steelers were riding a 3-game winning streak and a pair of record-setting performances by Ben Roethlisberger. But the Jets soared to a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and any hope of a Steelers rally was derailed by four turnovers. The Steelers' record fell to 6-4.
No. 4 Chiefs – 27, Steelers – 24 (Overtime) – Nov. 22, 2009
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1sJ7d3g)
The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2009. But on this day at Arrowhead Stadium, their 2-7 record didn't seem to matter. Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel led the offense with a pair of touchdown passes, and a Ryan Succop field goal in overtime sealed the win. The Steelers were 6-3 and still in the playoff hunt, but this was the second of five straight losses that would eventually sink their 2009 season.
No. 3 Raiders – 34, Steelers 31 – Sept. 23, 2012
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1xloCpm)
The Steelers were in control of this game in Oakland heading into the fourth quarter. But, that's when Carson Palmer and Raiders' offense came to life, scoring 13 unanswered points. Sebastian Janikowski capped the comeback by kicking a 43-yard field goal as time expired. It gave the Raiders their first win of the season. Both teams left the game 1-2.
No. 2 Buccaneers 27, Steelers – 24 – Sept. 28, 2014
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1oRUDmb)
As of this writing, this remains the only win of the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs were coming off a 56-14 loss at Atlanta, but they played the Steelers much closer on this day at Heinz Field. Behind quarterback Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning touchdown pass with 7 seconds left in the game.
No. 1 Raiders 21, Steelers 18 – Oct. 27, 2013
(Highlights: http://bit.ly/1uquhbj)
Another western Pennsylvania native haunts his hometown team. On this day, it was former Jeannette High School star Terrelle Pryor. He started the scoring with a 93-yard touchdown run, the longest by any quarterback in NFL history. The Raiders rode the early momentum to a 21-3 halftime lead. The Steelers scored 15 in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short. The Steelers record fell to 2-5. The win made the Raiders 3-4.
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