While Mike Tomlin’s tenure on Thursday night is defined by losses, he’s adamant he won’t let the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tough defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals define their season. Speaking to reporters after the Steelers dropped a 33-31 heartbreaker, Tomlin offered perspective after a bad AFC North loss.
“We won’t be defined by this performance,” Tomlin told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel.
The Steelers might not be defined by the loss but they’ll be forced to sit in it across the mini-bye week. The Steelers continue to struggle on the road. Under Tomlin, Pittsburgh is now 2-10 on the road on Thursday night and an even worse 0-7 against the AFC North. Pittsburgh’s only two wins have come in 2007 against the St. Louis Rams and 2016 versus the Indianapolis Colts.
But history is just that. Pittsburgh’s own struggles and miscues led to the loss. Two interceptions without any defensive takeaways. The Steelers entered Thursday night plus-seven in turnover differential, a top-five mark in football. That number went in the wrong direction.
“We turned the ball over a couple of times,” Tomlin acknowledged.
Veteran Joe Flacco carved up Pittsburgh’s secondary to the tune of 342 yards and three touchdowns. It was only his second three-touchdown performance against the Steelers in his career, one that spans back to 2008. The Steelers’ offseason plan of loading up on cornerback failed as Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Joey Porter Jr. couldn’t contain WR Ja’Marr Chase. Chase finished the game with 16 receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown.
Pittsburgh squandered a great chance to take complete control of the AFC North. With the loss, the Steelers dropped to 4-2 while the Bengals moved to 3-4 and a 1-0 start to the season series.
“It certainly was disappointing tonight,” Tomlin said.
Last season, the Steelers’ AFC North road loss to the Cleveland Browns didn’t define their season. Pittsburgh bounced back and won its next two games, including the rematch versus Cleveland. What defined the Steelers’ season was a four-game regular season losing streak. Pittsburgh can’t afford that kind of streak again this season, though a tough matchup Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers awaits.
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