The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season seemed on the brink of disaster at the end of November. Now, they are on the brink of winning the AFC North.
The surging Steelers won their third straight game on Sunday by holding off the Lions 29-24 at Ford Field in Detroit. The Lions scored what appeared to be the winning touchdown on the game’s final play, but it was negated by a pass interference penalty on wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Steelers (9-6) hold a two-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens (7-8) in the AFC North with just two games remaining. The Ravens lost to the New England Patriots 28-24 on Sunday night.
This upcoming Sunday, the Steelers play the Browns (3-12) in Cleveland, and the Ravens visit the Green Bay Packers (9-5-1). The Steelers can clinch their first division title since 2020 with a win or a Ravens’ loss. The Steelers and Ravens face each other in the Week 18 season finale in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers also set an NFL record by clinching their 22nd consecutive non-losing season, including 19 under coach Mike Tomlin. The Dallas Cowboys had 21 straight non-losing seasons from 1965-85.
A losing season seemed probable after the Steelers were steamrolled by the Buffalo Bills 26-7 on Nov. 30 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers were booed off the field, and fans chanted for Tomlin's firing. Five losses in seven games dropped their record to 6-6.
However, the Steelers have bounced back with wins over the Ravens, Dolphins, and Lions. Sunday’s victory in Detroit left Tomlin emotional during his post-game press conference, and he was pleased that the Steelers held a commanding 230-15 advantage in rushing yardage. Jaylen Warren had a career-high 143 yards and two 45-yard touchdown runs.
“I’m just so appreciative of the men I work with and the fight that they displayed individually and collectively,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, wasn’t perfect. A lot of adversity, some of it created by us. But they didn’t blink. That’s what’s required this time of year. We also talked about the game has got to look a certain way this time of year, and it certainly did. We were able to run the ball and stop the run, and we kind of rode that wave in terms of controlling the game.”