The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a truly embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday as the group fell by a score of 26-7. There were problems all over the place for the Steelers as the offense could not move the ball at times, which is clear just from looking at the final score. Pittsburgh's lone touchdown came after a turnover that was forced by the defense, but that group also fell apart in the second half. The defense could not get off the field, which allowed Buffalo to move the ball while eating up the large majority of the clock.
Arron Anastasia / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a brutal loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
There are a ton of stories to be taken from this pathetic showing by Pittsburgh. The offense is a major concern, especially with the current health of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, most fans are focused on the poor defense showing, especially considering how much money has been poured into that side of the ball by the organization.
Pittsburgh was gashed on the ground against the Bills as Buffalo ran for nearly 250 yards, and that was the main story of the second half and it allowed the Bills to run away with the game.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the rushing attack, and whether or not Pittsburgh could have done something to combat the issue, particularly with the safeties. The coach was adamant that his team had the right approach.
"We had an appropriate safety allocation relative to the run." Tomlin said. "We did."
The head coach doubled down on the way he deployed his safeties during this game, although the Bills were not really threatening to take any shots down the field in the passing game. When that is the case, most teams will move safeties up and shift their priority to stopping the rushing attack, but that was not something Pittsburgh seemed to do.
Harrison Barden / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt lines up before the snap during a home game against the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Pittsburgh did not have any answers for what the Bills were doing on the ground. This led to the Bills nearly eclipsing 250 yards on the ground, and it also allowed Buffalo to possess the football for 42 minutes of game time while Pittsburgh had the ball for just 18 minutes. Any time there is that much disparity in time of possession, the defense that is on the field for the majority of the game typically loses.
Outside linebacker TJ Watt was out of words after the game when he was speaking to the media. He shared that he noticed the Bills running the same play over and over again, yet the offense continued to have success.
That shows that the coaching staff for Pittsburgh was not making the proper adjustments, and the players on the field did not know how to slow down the Bills' rushing attack. Buffalo put up the most yards on the ground by a visiting team in Pittsburgh in history, which is completely embarrassing and is an encapsulation of the 2025 season for the Steelers.
AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar
Bills Sean McDermott (left) and Steelers Mike Tomlin (right) shake hands after their 2019 matchup in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Defense Is Set Up To Be Embarrassed Throughout The Remaining Schedule In 2025
The Steelers have a decent chance to win the AFC North and make the playoffs, but not a lot of fans have much optimism. Pittsburgh has two games left against the Baltimore Ravens, a game against the Detroit Lions, and a game against the Miami Dolphins.
All of those teams have elite running backs playing within effective offenses when it comes to running the football, which means the Steelers can be in this same exact situation multiple times throughout the rest of the regular season. If the problem is not fixed, there is a real chance that there are four more losses on Pittsburgh schedule, which would end Tomlin's streak of non-losing seasons.
What did you think of Tomlin's comments after the loss to the Bills? Let us know in the comments below!
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