There are many ways to illustrate the Steelers' recent run of playoff futility. We can begin with the cold hard facts: 20 NFL teams and 21 head coaches have won a postseason game since Pittsburgh's last victory. Over the last decade, Mike Tomlin's playoff record is 3-6, with plenty of embarrassing defeats sprinkled in.
The nadir came in January, when the Browns routed the Steelers in the Wild Card Round.
And yet, the Steelers announced Tuesday they've re-signed Tomlin to a three-year extension. While the Steelers have never suffered through a losing campaign under Tomlin, there's no ignoring their penchant for late-season collapses. In many respects, it was a different league the last time Pittsburgh was a consistent Super Bowl threat. These five facts show that to be the case:
Joe Flacco is only QB they've defeated in the playoffs who's still on an NFL roster:
Before we begin, I should credit Andrew Fillipponi for the motivation behind this list. The Flacco factoid is lifted right from his Twitter feed, and frankly, is downright damning. With Alex Smith's retirement, Flacco is the only quarterback they've defeated in the playoffs who's still on an NFL roster. The following week, they defeated Rex Ryan's Jets in the AFC Championship. (Told you it was a different world.)
In the Steelers' defense, there have been some quirky things with injuries. They defeated the Bengals in January 2016, but Andy Dalton wasn't under center, because he broke his right thumb in a loss to Pittsburgh the previous month. Instead, A.J. McCarron got the start — and it still took a last-second field goal for the Steelers to eke out the win.
The following year, the Steelers bested the Dolphins, who were playing without Ryan Tannehill. Matt Moore received the start for them, and was absolutely dreadful.
Still, the Steelers haven't defeated an elite quarterback in January in a decade. The last time they did, many of the game's current crop of passers were still in grade school.
Lamar Jackson was 13 years old last time Steelers played in Super Bowl:
With the exception of Ben Roethlisberger, every other quarterback in the AFC North is just ascending to greatness. And when the Steelers last played in the Super Bowl, none of them could legally drive.
Jackson and Joe Burrow are 24, while Baker Mayfield is 26. Assuming Burrow recovers from his ACL tear (modern medicine works wonders), all three pass-throwers should reach great heights over the next decade. Meanwhile, the Steelers may be stuck spending a second-round pick on Kyle Trask. This Super Bowl drought promises to be even longer.
Tom Brady has won 3 Super Bowls since Steelers' last playoff win:
It's not hyperbolic to say that Brady has enjoyed another Hall of Fame career since the Steelers' last playoff win. He's captured three more Super Bowls and played in four, putting up incredible numbers along the way.
With the retirement of Phillip Rivers, Roethlisberger is Brady's last peer remaining in the league. They've been battling each other in big games for the last 15 years. The problem is, Brady has been victorious almost every single time.
At this stage, there's little doubt that Brady will outlast Big Ben.
Mike Mularkey has won a playoff game more recently than Tomlin:
This is another one from Poni (check is in the mail). We can talk all we want about Tomlin sporting the highest winning percentage in Steelers history and outlasting Bill Cowher. But the fact is, Mularkey, the human symbol of coaching mediocrity, has won a playoff game more recently. He led the Titans to victory over the Chiefs in the 2017 Wild Card Round, before losing to the Patriots in the Divisional Round.
Mularkey isn't currently on an NFL staff. His career record is 36-53.
Browns have cycled through four head coaches since Tomlin's last playoff win:
The Browns routed the Steelers last January, completing the season sweep. It was a long time coming for Cleveland. Now the Browns are undoubtedly on the ascent, while the Steelers are on the way down.
Since 2016, the Browns have cycled through Hue Jackson, Gregg Williams and Freddie Kitchens before hiring Kevin Stefanski, who essentially out-coached Tomlin from his man cave.
Obviously, that's the antithesis of Steelers-like stability. But it's clear which organization is currently in a better spot.
