Remember Mike Tomlin’s controversial decision to bench Justin Fields and start Russell Wilson? Well, that was proving to be a masterstroke up until the last 4 weeks of the NFL. Russ and Tomlin were out there proving their haters wrong and cruising their way to the playoffs. They even had the AFC North title under grasp. But you know what happened after that? Wilson and Co. lost 4 in a row as they enter the postseason with a wild-card game against none other than AFC North title winners Baltimore Ravens.

See, when your team is struggling, fingers are bound to be raised on your QB. Pittsburgh’s offense once used to average 28 points and 372 passing yards per game under Wilson’s first seven starts. But after that, everything is almost unrecognizable. Wilson’s offense has heavily regressed, scoring just 14 points while putting up only 259 yards per game in their last four outings. However, for some reason, his former teammate in Seattle, Richard Sherman, still refuses to blame Russell Wilson for the Steelers’ four-game skid.

He believes the Steelers’ struggles aren’t just limited to Russ or their offense. Appearing on the Up & Adams show, the former Seahawks CB pointed out the Steelers’ equal struggles on their defense: “It’s not just the quarterback position that’s holding them back, their defense has GOTTA play better.” You know what? Sherman isn’t wrong. The Steelers’ defense, which was once the best in the league for some time, has failed to keep its momentum going.

Tomlin’s defense limited opponents to under 18 points and 310 total yards for their first 13 games. However, like their offense in that four-game losing streak, their defense was a mess. They gave almost more than 27 points on average while giving up 381 yards per game. And do you know what makes the results more scary? Well, the Steelers have yet to win a playoff game for quite some time. Losing their last four postseason appearances, star edge rusher T.J. Watt remains a frustrated figure alongside the Steelers Nation.

TJ Watt remains hopeful in his quest to break the Steelers postseason curse

Watt has almost achieved everything in his eight seasons with the Steelers. From winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year to leading the league in sacks for three straight seasons. But Watt still doesn’t have that elusive postseason victory he is looking for, “It is what it is. It’s my story. Since I’ve been here, I haven’t won a playoff game. Been saying it this whole season. You guys know how important this is to me.” With Watt on their roster, the Steelers have lost 4 games in the playoffs while having him available in 3 of those outings. The only time he couldn’t make it to Pittsburgh’s playoff game was last season because of an injury.

But leaving aside the one he was sidelined in. Those 3 other losses were simply heartbreaking for Watt. Two of them came against the Jaguars in 2018 and then the Browns in 2021. Both of them were upset losses, with the Steelers considered favorite in each of those games. Then, in Watt’s last playoff game against the Chiefs in 2022. He even managed to score the game’s first TD. However, the Chiefs ended up coming back comfortably, winning by 42-21.

Not only have the Steelers lost, but their approach to the playoffs has been somewhat questionable. They conceded 56-0 in the last four first quarters of their playoff appearances with Watt on their roster. And with the Ravens coming up next, the chances are slim for Watt to break his postseason curse. But you just never know what can happen in the NFL. Who knows, maybe the Steelers will step up and get their first playoff win in almost 8 years.