Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talks with side judge Dale Shaw during the Eagles game on Dec. 15 in Philadelphia.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their typical December swoon last year, it really hurt because the three consecutive losses they endured over a 13-day period (Dec. 3-16) came at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.
The Cards and Patriots were both 2-10 at the time of the games. Both were played in Pittsburgh. The Colts were 7-6.
The Steelers lost those three games by a total of 34 points. They dropped from 7-4 to 7-7 and onto the ledge of playoff elimination.
The broader message was that those Steelers were flawed enough that they could lose to anyone.
At that point, they inserted Mason Rudolph as the quarterback, and you know the rest. Rudolph saved Christmas. The Steelers made the playoffs, and at least the season wasn't a total loss.
But this year was supposed to be different. With the improvements made on defense and at quarterback by adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Steelers were supposed to have higher aspirations.
Like, actually winning a playoff game for the first time since 2016.
This year's three-game-in-11-day December slog is different too. The contests are against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. Those clubs are a combined 36-9. So far, the Steelers have lost the first two legs of this winter triathlon in Philadelphia and Baltimore by a combined score of 61-30.
If the Steelers drop Wednesday's game at home to the Chiefs in a similar fashion, the message conveyed will be just as loud and clear: The Steelers are still a cut below. The Steelers aren't ready for prime time. The Steelers aren't able to hang with the few big dogs that remain in the parity-addled NFL.
"Nobody is around here pouting," offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Thursday. "If anything, it should heighten your focus.
"You don't want to hit adversity, but we've got a playoff spot locked up. (We are) trying to win the division, trying to win a game. It's easy for everybody to (have) great vibes and everybody smiling when you're winning. But you're going to find out a lot about us in how we respond. We're playing good teams, and we've got a huge matchup and a unique schedule. The ball is going to kick off at 1 o'clock (Wednesday), and we'll be ready to go."
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From the players' perspective, tight end Pat Friermuth insists the team isn't shaken by the results of the past two weeks.
"The last two weeks have been tough with the outcome of the game. But you learn a lot about yourself and the team," Freiermuth said. "I feel like the guys in the locker room right now are in a good head space. We've got bigger things to work toward in the playoffs. But we understand what it takes to get over that hump, playing these teams late in the year."
At a team meeting before the Philadelphia loss, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was filmed by the "Hard Knocks" cameras telling his players how much he loved competing "against good people." It's a line he has often used before big games when speaking at his Tuesday press conferences.
The inference has always been that these types of games are a measuring stick by which Tomlin can assess where his team is in the ecosystem of the NFL beyond the win-loss result.
Based on this year's results so far -- with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions looming -- I'd say the results are reinforcing what a lot of us already thought: The Steelers may be better than the past few years, but still not good enough to make a run in the playoffs.
Especially if they have to play on the road.
"We're preparing to win the game," Tomlin said of the Christmas showdown with K.C. "There's growth in wins and experiences, and obviously those experiences are fruitful ones when you play really good people. We respect these guys, and we understand that they're the standard, so we're working toward it in an effort to win this week."
It was interesting to hear Tomlin use the word "standard" to describe anyone else but his own team. As clear as it is that K.C. is the standard (with three Super Bowl trophies since 2019), that's been Tomlin's fallback phrase to describe his own level of expectation for his franchise because of its past championship accomplishments.
"The standard is the standard."
Well, now someone else is the standard, and they are arriving in Pittsburgh for a Christmas visit. It appears the Eagles, Ravens, Vikings, Lions and Bills are closer to that level right now than the Steelers are as well.
The Steelers have a chance to alter that view with a win Wednesday. In the Tomlin era, the Steelers have often been good at winning games like this one.
At home. Underdogs after losing a few. A stand-alone national television game. Everyone is giving up on them, saying they aren't worth the hype.
Beating the Chiefs on Wednesday wouldn't be a Christmas miracle for the Steelers. But it would feel like a little holiday divine intervention to pick up spirits after the past two weeks so that the fanbase could at least believe the team belongs in the playoffs once they begin next month.
If not, eh, there's always eggnog. Have another glass and hope the Ravens lose in Houston while you're eating Christmas dinner.