NFL Panic Meter: Steelers are on a losing streak, putting them back in a familiar spot Frank SchwabOctober 28, 2025 at 8:17 AM 0 The Pittsburgh Steelers started the season 41, but it's not like they were without flaws. A twogame losing streak has made it clear that the hot start was a mirage.
- - NFL Panic Meter: Steelers are on a losing streak, putting them back in a familiar spot
Frank SchwabOctober 28, 2025 at 8:17 AM
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The Pittsburgh Steelers started the season 4-1, but it's not like they were without flaws.
A two-game losing streak has made it clear that the hot start was a mirage.
The Steelers were completely uncompetitive in the second half against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The defense looked bad, as it has multiple times this season. The offense isn't explosive enough to overcome that. The Steelers aren't terrible, but they aren't as good as their 4-1 start either.
As with any Steelers slump, it begins a conversation about the state of the franchise and Mike Tomlin's tenure. The Steelers haven't been bad under Tomlin but they've been barely on the right side of mediocre for a while. This season looks like more of the same. The Steelers are atop the AFC North, and given the malaise elsewhere in the division, it's not out of the question Pittsburgh could hang on and win it. But a division title with a record around .500 and another early playoff exit wouldn't satisfy anyone in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are stuck and have been for a while. They're not bad enough to start a rebuild but not good enough to be relevant in the postseason. The defense is expensive, aging and slipping. Aaron Rodgers has been reasonable at quarterback but everyone understands he isn't the answer beyond this season. Even if he did come back for another season, he's not going to be better next season when he turns 43 years old. The Steelers will be back on the hamster wheel at quarterback, without a draft pick high enough to pick a surefire quarterback of the future. Given the age of the roster, this might not be an easy or quick rebuild. The Steelers get a benefit of the doubt because they're a good organization, but the near future doesn't look particularly good.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed) ()
There's the Tomlin question. He has a Hall of Fame resume. But as disgruntled Steelers fans point out, he hasn't won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. There's a good chance the Steelers' next coach won't be as good as Tomlin. Also, every coach's message becomes stale after a while. Unless the Steelers win a playoff game this season, there will be speculation about Tomlin's future. It's an annual tradition.
For now, the Steelers are in an awkward spot. The defense probably isn't getting totally fixed; only two teams have given up more yards. The offense ranks 25th in total yards. But they are in first place of the AFC North. That just doesn't feel too satisfying.
Panic meter: High for now, and even higher for the future
Lamar Jackson's return
For a moment, let's put aside the Baltimore Ravens' injury report games. They'll surely be punished for misleading everyone on Jackson's status last week.
What is a little troubling is that Jackson wasn't back in the lineup. Jackson has missed four weeks with a hamstring injury. Maybe it was just being prudent to keep Jackson out Sunday with a game coming up this Thursday, but it's not like the 1-5 Ravens were in a position to be safe. Jackson presumably just wasn't ready to play.
He should return Thursday — feel free to not trust John Harbaugh's word on that — but there are still some concerns. Hamstring injuries have a high rate of recurrence. Jackson is a special player because of his dual ability with his passing and running, and will the running be the same upon his return? He wasn't healthy enough to play on Sunday, will he be totally right four days later?
In a perfect world for the Ravens, Jackson comes back and plays at an MVP level again. Maybe it won't be that easy.
Panic meter: None yet, but let's see how Jackson looks when he returns
Falcons offensive woes
The Falcons have failed to gain 300 yards in consecutive games. On Sunday they barely got past 200.
Even worse than those stats, both performances were against defenses that have otherwise struggled. The 49ers haven't been great on defense since Nick Bosa's season-ending injury, and without Bosa and Fred Warner on Sunday they gave up 475 yards to the Houston Texans' mediocre offense. Sunday's game by the Falcons offense was really poor. The Miami Dolphins have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and the Falcons got only 212 yards against them at home. Michael Penix Jr. was out but it shouldn't be that bad with Kirk Cousins, the league's highest paid backup, replacing him. But it was that bad.
There has been a lot of criticism for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and some stale play-calling. The Falcons are 3-4 and trending the wrong way. Even when Penix and Drake London return from injuries, there are a lot of issues to work out.
Panic meter: The season is slipping away too fast
49ers defense looks bad
Speaking of the 49ers, Sunday showed the worst case scenario for their season. The Texans have struggled on offense most of the season. The offensive line in particular has been bad. Against the 49ers they didn't have Nico Collins, who along with C.J. Stroud are Houston's only plus offensive players. And the Texans steamrolled the 49ers.
Houston had 475 yards and held the ball for more than 41 minutes. The 49ers never sacked Stroud, which is a bad sign against the Texans' line. Without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the rest of the season, the defense is very short on difference makers. San Francisco did play well against Atlanta two weeks ago, but that probably was due to the Falcons' offense than the 49ers finding answers on defense. Kyle Shanahan will get what he can out of the team this season, but it might not be that easy the rest of the way.
Panic meter: Sunday might have been a sign of things to come
Source: "AOL Sports"
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