The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t catch any type of break as of late. After a bizarre tie against the winless Detroit Lions, Mike Tomlin’s team followed it up with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the closing minutes. On Sunday, the Steelers got obliterated by the Cincinnati Bengals, 41-10.

Things aren’t looking too good in the Steel City right now, especially after an ugly outing and the second loss this season to the Bengals.

Tomlin wasn’t happy after the game with the team’s performance, one that dropped them to 5-5-1 and way down the AFC playoff picture.

The Steelers unraveled against the Bengals

The Steelers have been held to a season-low 10 points, twice this season.

The Bengals have been responsible both times.

— Marisa Contipelli (@BengalsMarisa) November 28, 2021

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play well. Najee Harris was limited, and the defense got torched by the Bengals through the air and on the ground.

Roethlisberger finished with 263 yards, one score, and two interceptions on a 24-of-41 clip and Harris had just eight carries for 23 yards and three catches for 14 yards. The lone Steelers touchdown was a Pat Freiermuth catching garbage time.

The Bengals ran wild as Joe Mixon had 165 yards and two scores on 28 carries in a dominant performance. Joe Burrow was efficient and played well again as the Bengals continue to impress the NFL world.

The Steelers just looked off once again, and their playoff hopes continue to go downhill quickly in what is likely Roethlisberger’s final season in the NFL.

Mike Tomlin was not happy with the team after the loss

#Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said this week he wasn't downplaying how big of a game this was. He said there was extra "sugar" to it b/c the #Bengals had beaten his team soundly in Week Three. And then… this. https://t.co/8BqJcAK2jm

— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) November 28, 2021

For the second time this season, the Bengals defeated the Steelers. Last time around, Pittsburgh scored 10 points as well and gave up 24. This time, it didn’t look good at all.

After the loss, Tomlin dropped another brutally honest take — which is nothing new for the Steelers head coach (h/t Brooke Pryor of ESPN).

“We didn’t play nearly well enough in any of the phases. We got beat up front on both sides of the ball. We stunk it up today.”

Mike Tomlin on Steelers ugly loss to Bengals

Well, that is true.

The Steelers looked off in all phases of the game. They couldn’t run or pass on offense and the defense couldn’t stop anybody at all.

Now, the Steelers drop to last place in the crowded AFC North and are quickly trending in the wrong direction with the season approaching its final push.

Can the Steelers rebound and sneak into the playoff picture?

Does this Steelers team look like a playoff squad? The answer is no.

The bottom part of the AFC playoff picture is crowded and things can change quickly. Unfortunately, the Steelers schedule won’t do them any favors.

They face the Baltimore Ravens, followed by the Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Kansas City Chiefs. After that, they conclude the regular season with the Cleveland Browns and the Ravens again.

The Steelers will need a lot of things to go their way. First and foremost, they need to play a lot better than they did against the Bengals.

Stats Courtesy of Pro Football Reference