The NFL’s divisional playoff round is fast approaching, which means vacation time is here for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s become a habit for a flagship franchise with six Lombardi Trophies but the same number of playoff victories as the New York Jets over the past eight seasons: zero.
The Steelers’ inevitable 28-14 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round Saturday extended the franchise’s longest stretch without a playoff victory since the 1972 team, led by 40-year-old coach Chuck Noll, scored the first postseason win in team history.
Embarrassed by Ravens and stuck in purgatory, the Steelers must ponder significant changes
Coach Mike Tomlin’s streak of 18 consecutive non-losing seasons cannot mask the erosion of real championship aspirations in Pittsburgh.