For the bulk of the 2022 NFL season, it looked like a 15-year tradition was coming to an end. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was staring down the first losing record of his career.
His Steelers were a disheveled mess. Mitchell Trubisky wasn’t the bridge between a retired Ben Roethlisberger and the team’s future. Rookie Kenny Pickett played like an overexcited golden retriever had run into the huddle. TJ Watt was injured and a formerly elite defense fell off. Pittsburgh was 2-6 and staring down what could have been its worst season since 1969.
