2024 Season Recall – Three games in eleven days

Steel City Underground presents our 2024 Steelers Recall: a look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.

I will always stand on my ground that HBO’s Hard Knocks: In Season is a major reason the Steelers were handed an unusually brutal second-half schedule in 2024. For the first time, the show covered an entire division—the AFC North—during the final six weeks of the season, which aligned with Pittsburgh’s late-starting divisional matchups.

The Steelers didn’t play a single AFC North opponent until Week 11, an NFL record for how deep into the season a team faced an in-division opponent. Pittsburgh then faced a gauntlet of games against top-tier teams like the Eagles and Chiefs, plus a rematch with the Ravens, none of which sports betting sites favored them to win.

The league prioritized TV narratives over competitive fairness, forcing the Steelers into a stretch of three games in eleven days, all while dealing with mounting injuries and no late-season bye. While Coach Mike Tomlin won’t publicly blame the schedule, the piece implies that the league’s media ambitions—particularly HBO’s desire to feature the Steelers—came at the cost of player recovery and competitive balance. The results speak for themselves.

December 15th | Philadelphia Eagles

The Steelers’ 27–13 loss to the Eagles in Week 15 was a harsh reality check for a team that had just clinched a playoff spot. Despite securing a postseason berth thanks to losses by the Colts and Dolphins, Pittsburgh’s performance raised serious doubts about their readiness for the final stretch.

The offense was ineffective, producing only 163 total yards on 41 plays—their lowest output since 2010. Russell Wilson threw for 128 yards and a touchdown to Pat Freiermuth, but the unit converted just three third downs and ran only 11 plays in the second half. Najee Harris fumbled early, George Pickens was inactive, and Justin Fields made a brief appearance with an eight-yard run.

The Steelers held the ball for barely 20 minutes and failed to capitalize on two early takeaways, including a strip-sack by T.J. Watt and a muffed punt recovery by Nick Herbig. They only managed three points off those turnovers.

The Eagles responded with 401 total yards, converting 10 of 17 third downs and dominating possession. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each topped 100 receiving yards and scored touchdowns, exposing the Steelers’ secondary.

Officiating missteps added to the frustration. Darnell Washington was punched by Darius Slay with no offsetting penalty, Montravius Adams was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a blocked field goal, and a missed call on Jalen Carter’s hit to Connor Heyward cost Pittsburgh a potential red zone possession.

There were a few bright spots. Chris Boswell broke franchise records for most field goals and points in a season. T.J. Watt set a new team mark for career forced fumbles and became the first Steeler with six seasons of double-digit sacks. However, Watt exited late with an ankle injury, putting his status for Week 16 in question.

December 21st | Baltimore Ravens

At 10–4, the Steelers now faced a brutal closing stretch, facing the Ravens in a pivotal AFC North matchup with the division on the line. In a game that exposed serious flaws in execution, urgency, and decision-making, Russell Wilson’s two turnovers were pivotal.

His first, a fumble near the goal line after a 19-yard scramble, erased a scoring opportunity and led to a 96-yard Ravens touchdown drive. Later, after Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception gave Pittsburgh prime field position. Wilson followed up on the next play with a pick-six to Marlon Humphrey that effectively ended the game.

The defense was overwhelmed by Derrick Henry, who ran for 162 yards on 24 carries. Pittsburgh gave up 220 rushing yards overall, their worst performance of the season, despite previously holding eight opponents under 100. The defensive front failed to control the line of scrimmage, allowing Baltimore to dominate time of possession and wear down the unit.

Special teams added to the collapse. After tying the game at 17, Chris Boswell kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Ravens a short field they quickly turned into a go-ahead touchdown. Fourth-down execution was also lacking. Wilson missed Calvin Austin on a 4th-and-6, and later the team punted on 4th-and-12 while trailing by two scores, allowing Baltimore to drain the clock and tack on a field goal.

The Steelers would fall 34–17 to the Ravens with the Chiefs looming on Christmas Day.

December 25th | Kansas City Chiefs

The final of the three games in eleven days would be played on Christmas Day, a Wednesday, for the first-ever NFL games broadcast on Netflix. I would’ve been a good showing for the Steelers, however, despite controlling time of possession and outpacing Kansas City in first downs and rushing yards, Pittsburgh couldn’t convert production into points.

Russell Wilson threw for just 136 yards and committed two turnovers—an end zone interception and a fumble—while Pat Freiermuth also lost a costly fumble. A touchdown run by Jaylen Warren was wiped out by a penalty, and Wilson’s next pass was picked off, killing the drive.

The defense failed to pressure Patrick Mahomes, allowing him to throw for 320 yards and three touchdowns without a single sack. Pittsburgh had now given up 375 or more yards in four of its last five games and 27-plus points in each.

Special teams contributed to the slide as well. A short punt by Corliss Waitman gave Mahomes a short field early, leading to a quick score. Even standout efforts from Warren and George Pickens couldn’t offset the lack of execution across the board.

The Steelers’ 29–10 loss to the Chiefs marked their third straight defeat and highlighted a troubling lack of complementary football. At 10–6, the Steelers would face the Bengals to close the season. The Bengals would have revenge, and a potential playoff spot on the line.

Keep following along as we revisit and break down each matchup in our ongoing weekly Recall coverage as we recap the final two games of the 2024 season.