The Pittsburgh Steelers look like a team that will probably end up in the playoffs at the end of the 2025 season, but that is nothing new for Pittsburgh. The organization hasn't really had much trouble when it comes to making the postseason, but taking down other playoff teams and advancing is where the franchise has had some trouble in recent years. It has been nearly a decade since the Steelers have seen any sort of playoff success, and the drought has fans very frustrated as the group continues to call for change at the end of each season.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin walks out of the tunnel ahead of a road game against the New England Patriots during the 2025 season.
The biggest flaw on Head Coach Mike Tomlin's resume is his playoff record as a head coach. He is 8-11, which could also be looked at as an impressive stat as it begs the question of whether his teams should have even been considered good enough to qualify for the postseason in the first place, especially in recent years.
The Steelers currently lead the way in the AFC North with a 5-3 record, and former All-Pro cornerback Aqib Talib recently spoke on an episode of The Arena about how the rest of the AFC cannot allow Pittsburgh to get home field advantage.
"We better hope that this defense don't catch fire in January, because I'm telling you, this the type of defense that can wreck everybody's sh*t," Talib said. "We talking about the Chiefs, and we're talking about the Broncos and the Bills, they play in Pittsburgh. That's one of the toughest places to play. Man, if we let them get the No. 3 seed or the No. 4 seed and they get to be in Pittsburgh for these home games? The AFC gonna be in f**king trouble."
Pittsburgh's defense has faced some scrutiny over the last several weeks, but the group bounced back in a big win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Pittsburgh's defense forced six turnovers and certainly led the way in the victory. If the group can continue playing like that, Pittsburgh could take down anyone in the AFC; that side of the ball just has to be consistent.
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Steelers' Jalen Ramsey and other members of the defense celebrate after forcing a turnover during the 2025 season against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
Pittsburgh's defense has some of the most talent in the league, but it just hasn't felt that way during some games in the 2025 season. It is an aging unit for sure, and hopefully the win over the Colts is a sign of what is to come for Pittsburgh on defense.
Talib spoke about the possibility of the Steelers winning the AFC North, and he believes that would be bad for the rest of the AFC. Winning the division would guarantee at least one home playoff game for the Steelers, and Talib acknowledged that Acrisure Stadium is one of the hardest places to play in the NFL, especially in the playoffs.
Steelers Have Not Hosted A Postseason Game Since 2020
The Steelers have not hosted a playoff game since the team lost embarrassingly to the Cleveland Browns at the end of the 2020 season. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in three of the four seasons since then, but all games have been played on the road and they have not gone well. The Steelers could use a home playoff atmosphere, which is something the team could have had in 2024 had it not fallen apart to end the regular season.
Steelers.com
Pittsburgh Steelers fans celebrate during a home game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA during the 2025 regular season.
If the Steelers can hang onto their lead within the division, the group should be primed to finally win a playoff game for the first time since the end of the 2016 season.
Do you agree with Talib's comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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