The Pittsburgh Steelers fell 33-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, extending Mike Tomlin’s troubling streak in divisional road games under the lights.
The loss dropped Tomlin to 0-7 on the road against AFC North opponents on Thursdays, adding another chapter to a pattern that has defined his tenure in these matchups.
Beyond the defeat itself, a new statistic surfaced that underscores Pittsburgh’s persistent slow-start issues throughout Tomlin’s era.
The Steelers have now gone 56 consecutive games scoring seven or fewer first-quarter points, the longest streak by any coach in NFL history.
“This is actually an insane record. Now 56 STRAIGHT GAMES(!) with 7 or fewer 1st quarter points for the Tomlin Steelers. No coach has a longer streak in NFL history,” Warron Sharp shared on X.
this is actually an insane record
now 56 STRAIGHT GAMES(!) with 7 or fewer 1st quarter points for the Tomlin Steelers
no coach has a longer streak in NFL history pic.twitter.com/JD1FPojg8d
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 17, 2025
Cincinnati capitalized on Pittsburgh’s sluggish beginning, rushing for 142 yards while veteran quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in his second start since leaving Cleveland.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared visibly frustrated as mistakes mounted throughout the contest.
Errors plagued Pittsburgh from start to finish.
Zach Frazier snapped the ball prematurely in the red zone, and Jaylen Warren botched a flea-flicker play, contributing to the overall breakdown.
Defensively, Pittsburgh failed to meet expectations despite Tomlin’s reputation for strong defensive units.
Jalen Ramsey and T.J. Watt underperformed against a Bengals offensive line that had struggled all season, allowing Cincinnati’s offense to deliver a surprising performance.
The Steelers remain legitimate contenders in the AFC North despite falling to 4-2.
However, trap games continue haunting this team, and Thursday provided another painful reminder.
Pittsburgh had the chance to silence critics, but instead raised more questions heading forward.
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